What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)The pilot and a mechanic were performing a postmaintenance test flight following tracking of the main rotor blades. One test flight had already been accomplished with no discrepancies. The pilot had not flown the helicopter during the preceding 90 days. As the pilot pulled the collective, the aircraft suddenly came to a 4-foot hover with the fuselage swinging side to side and fore and aft below the main rotor. The pilot attempted to recover; however, the aircraft pitched forward, the main rotor blades struck the ground, and the aircraft rolled onto its right side. The pilot said he thought he might have mispositioned the cyclic before raising the collective as he was attempting to comply with the mechanic's request to 'pull-off before vibration became a problem.' He said the controls 'felt' differently than he had expected. A detailed control system inspection found no evidence of preexisting discrepancies. (-23)privacy data omittedwas conducting a maintenance test flight to check track and balance of the helicopter's main rotor system. On take off, privacy data omitted lost control of the helicopter. The main rotor blades struck the ground, causing the helicopter to lose control and crash.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)THE PILOT AND A MECHANIC WERE PERFORMING A POSTMAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT FOLLOWING TRACKING OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES. ONE TEST FLIGHT HAD ALREADY BEEN ACCOMPLISHED WITH NO DISCREPANCIES. THE PILOT HAD NOT FLOWN THE HELICOPTER DURING THE PRECEDING 90 DAYS. AS THE PILOT PULLED THE COLLECTIVE, THE AIRCRAFT SUDDENLY CAME TO A 4-FOOT HOVER WITH THE FUSELAGE SWINGING SIDE TO SIDE AND FORE AND AFT BELOW THE MAIN ROTOR. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RECOVER; HOWEVER, THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED FORWARD, THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE GROUND, AND THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED ONTO ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE PILOT SAID HE THOUGHT HE MIGHT HAVE MISPOSITIONED THE CYCLIC BEFORE RAISING THE COLLECTIVE AS HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO COMPLY WITH THE MECHANIC'S REQUEST TO 'PULL-OFF BEFORE VIBRATION BECAME A PROBLEM.' HE SAID THE CONTROLS 'FELT' DIFFERENTLY THAN HE HAD EXPECTED. A DETAILED CONTROL SYSTEM INSPECTION FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF PREEXISTING DISCREPANCIES. (-23)^PRIVACY DA^WAS CONDUCTING A MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT TO CHECK TRACK AND BALANCE OF THE HELICOPTER'S MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM. ON TAKE OFF, ^PRIVACY DA^ LOST CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE GROUND, CAUSING THE HELICOPTER TO LOSE CONTROL AND CRASH.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.