# Accident 19980420007379A: Amtr MINI500, Lakeland, FL, April 20, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 20, 1998, 12:30 local time
- Place: Lakeland, FL
- Airport: Lakeland Regional Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Prw On Run Landing (Rotorcraft
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 27.9800° N, 82.0104° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.9800&lon=-82.0104&mi=10
- Aircraft: N105WB, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N105WB-1999-12-23) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bennett William J MINI - 500 (registry code 05601VW, https://openairdocs.org/model/bennett-william-j-mini-500) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTR MINI500
- Reported engine: ROTAX ROTAX582
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 3,000 total, 40 in this make and model, 28 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA98LA137](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98LA137) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980420007379A

## Narrative

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

VIBRATION ON APPROACH. NOSED DOWN. IMPACTED NOSE FIRST. ROLLED OVER. ROTOR CONTROL PUSH ROD CAME OFF. LOST CYCLIC. (-23) PILOT STATED HE EXPERIENCED A 1 TO 1 VERTICAL VIBRATION ON FINAL. HE STARTED A DECELERATION AT 50 FEET.  THE NOSE OF THE HELICOPTER TUCKED DOWN AND THE HELICOPTER COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AND ROLLED OVER ON ITS RIGHT SIDE.  EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER REVEALED THAT A FLIGHT CONTROL PUSH ROD BECAME DISCONNECTED FROM THE CONTROL YOKE TEETER BLOCK RESULTING IN A PARTIAL LOSS OF CYCLIC CONTROL. (.4) THE PILOT STATED HE WAS ON BASE TURN TO FINAL FOR A FLY BYE, WHEN HE EXPERIENCED A 1 TO 1 VERTICAL VIBRATION. HE INFORMED THE TOWER THAT HE WAS GOING TO LAND, AND STARTED A DECELERATION. THE HELICOPTER VEERED TO THE RIGHT, AND THE PILOT APPLIED LEFT ANTITORQUE PEDAL. THE NOSE STARTED TO TUCK DOWN, THEN THE HELICOPTER COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND AND ROLLED OVER ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM REVEALED A HEX NUT BACKED OFF THE CYCLIC FLIGHT CONTROL PUSH ROD BOLT, AND THE BOLT BECAME DISCONNECTED FROM THE CONTROL YOKE TEETER BLOCK. THIS RESULTED IN A LOSS OF CYCLIC CONTROL.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB MIA98LA137](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98LA137), Apr 20, 1998: Bennett M-500A (N105WB), Lakeland, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: a hex nut on the cyclic flight control pushrod bolt had backed off for undetermined reason(s) and allowed the bolt to become disconnected from the control yoke teeter block, resulting in a loss of…

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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