# Incident 19980103002049I: Amtr COMMANDER532, Newburyport, MA, January 3, 1998

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 3, 1998, 14:13 local time
- Place: Newburyport, MA
- Airport: Plum Island Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 42.7954° N, 70.8394° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at PLUM ISLAND (2B2), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.7954&lon=-70.8394&mi=10
- Aircraft: N2270R, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2270R-2000-04-14) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Sweeney Richard F AIR COMMAND (registry code 05625LF, https://openairdocs.org/model/sweeney-richard-f-air-command) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTR COMMANDER532
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 305 total, 150 in this make and model, 10 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980103002049I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

NARRATIVE: DURING A PLEASURE FLIGHT OF APPROXIMATELY 15-20 MINUTES AT AN ALTITUDE OF 12-1400 FEET, THE PASSENGER LOST POSSESSION OF HIS HELMET. THIS ACTION RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO TWO OF THE THREE BLADES OF THE PROPELLER CAUSING VIBRATION AND LOSS OF POWER. THE PILOT SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND EFFECTED AN EMERGENCY AUTO-ROTATION LANDING. THE LEFT LANDING GEAR DUG INTO THE SOFT SAND CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO PITCH OVER ON TO THE LEFT SIDE. THIS ACTION RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO THE LEFT GEAR SUPPORT TUBE AND BOTH MAIN ROTOR BLADES. ESTIMATED TOTAL VALUE OF THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT IN $15K AND ESTIMATED REPAIR COST IS $4.5K.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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