What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot randy perruci, the builder and certified repairman of this a/c stated that during climbing out at about 60 mph and 400 fpm, he lost forward and aft flight control at about 700 feet and the a/c pitched forward. He then entered an autorotation and manuevered left and right to line up between trees in an orchard. The a/c hit hard in a nosedown aditued and rolled over as the rotor blades contacted the trees. Examination of a/c revealed the forward-aft push pull tube from the swash plate to the lower bellcrank failed causing loss of forward-aft flight control. Damage to the a/c consists of main rotor blades, skid tubes, cabin and seat structures, vertical fin, and the remaining flight control push pull tubes at the swash plate. (.4) on August 26, 2000, at 0906 hours pacific daylight time, a perrucci revolution mini-500 experimental helicopter, N7SZ, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Gridley, California. The student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local area personal flight, which departed from the owner's property in Gridley about 0840. The amateur built helicopter was operated b y the owner under 14 CFR part 91. The pilot reported that, while making a turn at 700 feet AGL, he felt something break and the fore-and-aft portion of the cyclic flight control system became inoperative (disconnected). He lowered the collective control, reduced engine power, and made a run-on landing in an open field. During the landing the toe of one skid "dug in" and the helicopter came to rest on its side. Postaccident examination revealed that a push-pull tube in the cyclic control system fractured circumferentially in the wall at one end near where a through-bolt attached the rod end fitting to the tube. The assembly was revolution helicopters part number 0165.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT RANDY PERRUCI, THE BUILDER AND CERTIFIED REPAIRMAN OF THIS A/C STATED THAT DURING CLIMBING OUT AT ABOUT 60 MPH AND 400 FPM, HE LOST FORWARD AND AFT FLIGHT CONTROL AT ABOUT 700 FEET AND THE A/C PITCHED FORWARD. HE THEN ENTERED AN AUTOROTATION AND MANUEVERED LEFT AND RIGHT TO LINE UP BETWEEN TREES IN AN ORCHARD. THE A/C HIT HARD IN A NOSEDOWN ADITUED AND ROLLED OVER AS THE ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED THE TREES. EXAMINATION OF A/C REVEALED THE FORWARD-AFT PUSH PULL TUBE FROM THE SWASH PLATE TO THE LOWER BELLCRANK FAILED CAUSING LOSS OF FORWARD-AFT FLIGHT CONTROL. DAMAGE TO THE A/C CONSISTS OF MAIN ROTOR BLADES, SKID TUBES, CABIN AND SEAT STRUCTURES, VERTICAL FIN, AND THE REMAINING FLIGHT CONTROL PUSH PULL TUBES AT THE SWASH PLATE. (.4) ON AUGUST 26, 2000, AT 0906 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A PERRUCCI REVOLUTION MINI-500 EXPERIMENTAL HELICOPTER, N7SZ, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING NEAR GRIDLEY, CALIFORNIA. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL AREA PERSONAL FLIGHT, WHICH DEPARTED FROM THE OWNER'S PROPERTY IN GRIDLEY ABOUT 0840. THE AMATEUR BUILT HELICOPTER WAS OPERATED B Y THE OWNER UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT, WHILE MAKING A TURN AT 700 FEET AGL, HE FELT SOMETHING BREAK AND THE FORE-AND-AFT PORTION OF THE CYCLIC FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM BECAME INOPERATIVE (DISCONNECTED). HE LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE CONTROL, REDUCED ENGINE POWER, AND MADE A RUN-ON LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD. DURING THE LANDING THE TOE OF ONE SKID "DUG IN" AND THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST ON ITS SIDE. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT A PUSH-PULL TUBE IN THE CYCLIC CONTROL SYSTEM FRACTURED CIRCUMFERENTIALLY IN THE WALL AT ONE END NEAR WHERE A THROUGH-BOLT ATTACHED THE ROD END FITTING TO THE TUBE. THE ASSEMBLY WAS REVOLUTION HELICOPTERS PART NUMBER 0165.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.