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19990314028399A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Amtr Rotorwayexec · Mechanicsburg, PA · March 14, 1999

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 14, 1999 · 10:38 local
Place
Mechanicsburg, PA
Phase of flight
Hovering
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N124CF
NTSB investigation
NTSBNYC99LA072
Reported as
Amtr Rotorwayexec
Reported engine
AMTRRW ROTWY162
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
79 total10 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days
N124CFRegistered now · Two Way Traffic EXEC 162FS/N 6165 · Built 1999Airframe modelTwo Way Traffic EXEC 162FEngine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) The student pilot was practicing his first solo lift off to hover in a rotorway executive 162F, an experimental homebuilt helicopter. The student had previous experience as a private pilot, single engine land, and had received 10.5 hours of flight training at the rotorway factory recently, along with an endorsement for solo flight. After lift off to hover, the pilot said that he may not have used enough throttle for the collective setting. The helicopter began to settle contacting the left rear skid. The aircraft then rolled over on it's left side. (.4) the pilot was practicing his first solo flight in a helicopter. He brought the helicopter to about a 6 inch hover and then drifted left and settled. The left rear skid contacted the ground and the helicopter rolled over on its left side. The pilot held a private pilot certificate for single engine airplanes but had not flown in several years. He had received 9.9 hours of dual instruction in the same model of helicopter, and was signed off for solo flight, but had not flown in the 44 days that preceded accident flight.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE STUDENT PILOT WAS PRACTICING HIS FIRST SOLO LIFT OFF TO HOVER IN A ROTORWAY EXECUTIVE 162F, AN EXPERIMENTAL HOMEBUILT HELICOPTER. THE STUDENT HAD PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE AS A PRIVATE PILOT, SINGLE ENGINE LAND, AND HAD RECEIVED 10.5 HOURS OF FLIGHT TRAINING AT THE ROTORWAY FACTORY RECENTLY, ALONG WITH AN ENDORSEMENT FOR SOLO FLIGHT. AFTER LIFT OFF TO HOVER, THE PILOT SAID THAT HE MAY NOT HAVE USED ENOUGH THROTTLE FOR THE COLLECTIVE SETTING. THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO SETTLE CONTACTING THE LEFT REAR SKID. THE AIRCRAFT THEN ROLLED OVER ON IT'S LEFT SIDE. (.4) THE PILOT WAS PRACTICING HIS FIRST SOLO FLIGHT IN A HELICOPTER. HE BROUGHT THE HELICOPTER TO ABOUT A 6 INCH HOVER AND THEN DRIFTED LEFT AND SETTLED. THE LEFT REAR SKID CONTACTED THE GROUND AND THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER ON ITS LEFT SIDE. THE PILOT HELD A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE FOR SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANES BUT HAD NOT FLOWN IN SEVERAL YEARS. HE HAD RECEIVED 9.9 HOURS OF DUAL INSTRUCTION IN THE SAME MODEL OF HELICOPTER, AND WAS SIGNED OFF FOR SOLO FLIGHT, BUT HAD NOT FLOWN IN THE 44 DAYS THAT PRECEDED ACCIDENT FLIGHT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB NYC99LA072Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportMechanicsburg, PAThe pilot's inadvertent induced dynamic rollover. A factor in the accident was the pilot's lack of helicopter experience.Mar 14, 1999 · Substantial damage