# Accident 19980513009219A: Amtr ROTORWAYEXEC, Valparaiso, IN, May 13, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 13, 1998, 18:10 local time
- Place: Valparaiso, IN
- Airport: Porter County Municipal
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Hovering
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.4694° N, 87.0510° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.4694&lon=-87.0510&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4561C, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4561C-2008-07-30) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Read James M EXEC 90 (registry code 05603FF, https://openairdocs.org/model/read-james-m-exec-90) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG (registry code 99999, https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTR ROTORWAYEXEC
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 3,329 total, 36 in this make and model, 57 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI98LA152](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA152) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980513009219A

## Narrative

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

ON MAY 13, 1998, AT 1810 EASTERN STANTARD TIME (EST), A READ ROTORWAY EXECUTIVE 90, HOMEBUILT HELICOPTER, N4561C, OPERATED BY A COMMERCIAL PILOT, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN MANEUVERING DURING INITIAL HOVER, THE HELICOPTER'S RIGHT TRANSPORT WHEEL AND SKID CAUGHT ON THE CONCRETE RAMP, AT PORTER COUNTY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, VALPARAISO, INDIANA. THE HELICOPTER SUBSEQUENTLY ROLLED OVER AND IMPACTED ON THE RAMP. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE LOCAL, PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE PILOT REPORTED NO INJURIES. IN HIS WRITTEN STATEMENT, THE PILOT SAID THAT HE PUSHED THE HELICOPTER OUT OF THE HANGAR, PREFLIGHTED IT, STARTED IT, AND WARMED IT UP TO OPERATING MINIMUMS. "AT LIGHT ON THE SKIDS POINT, ALL SEEMED FINE." THE PILOT SAID THAT HE LIFTED OFF THE GROUND TO AN APPROXIMATE HEIGHT OF 12 INCHES. THAT IS WHEN HE HEARD A "CLUNK" FROM BEHIND HIM. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE THOUGHT THAT SOMETHING MIGHT HAVE GONE THROUGH THE TAIL ROTOR, SO HE TURNED THE HELICOPTER TO THE LEFT 180 DEGREES. SEEING NOTHING, THE PILOT DECIDED TO SET DOWN. AT THAT POINT, THE HELICOPTER PITCHED OVER ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE    "NEGLECTED TO REMOVE THE TRANSPORT WHEELS" BEFORE FLIGHT. A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE HELICOPTER IN THE PILOTS HANGAR AT PORTER COUNTY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. BOTH MAIN ROTOR BLADES SHOWED CHORDWISE SCRATCHES AT APPROXIMATELY MID-SPAN. THE OUTBOARD TIPS OF BOTH ROTOR BLADES WERE CURLED UPWARD. THE FUSELAGE WAS BENT UPWARD AND WRINKLED. THE COCKPIT WINDSCREEN WAS BROKEN OUT. THE COCKPIT INTERIOR REMAINED INTACT. NO DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED TO THE SEATS, CONTROL PANEL, OR HELICOPTER CONTROLS. THE RIGHT FIN ON THE TAIL BOOM WAS SCRAPED. THE LEFT FIN WAS BROKEN OFF. THE TRAIL ROTOR SHOWED NO DAMAGE. THE RIGHT TRANSPORT WHEEL WAS ATTACHED TO THE RIGHT SKID. THE WHEEL WAS BENT DOWN AND INWARD, AND BROKEN ON THE OUTBOARD SIDE. THE LEFT TRANSPORT WHEEL WAS ATTACHED TO THE LEFT SKID. THE LEFT TRANSPORT WHEEL AXLE AND FITTING WERE BENT DOWNWARD APPROXIMATELY 45 DEGREES. HELICOPTER FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS CONFIRMED. NO ANOMALIES WERE FOUND IN THE ENGINE, ENGINE CONTROLS, OR OTHER HELICOPTER SYSTEMS. (-23) COUNSELING CONDUCTED BY ROTORCRAFT INSPECTOR DAVID H. KEPPLE.  PILOT NEGLECTED TO REMOVE GROUND TRANSPORT DOLLY WHEELS.

## 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 CHI98LA152](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA152), May 13, 1998: Read Rotorway Executive (N4561C), Valparaiso, IN, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot not maintaining adequate clearance with the ground during hover. Factors which contributed to this accident were the pilot's execution of a hovering turn at too low of an altitude,…

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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