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20010930027559A

Accident · No damage
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FAA accident report · Rhoades Gordon L RTRWY INTL EXEC 162F · Whitehouse, OH · September 30, 2001

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 30, 2001 · 17:50 local
Place
Whitehouse, OH
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N25GR
NTSB investigation
NTSBIAD01LA109
N25GRRegistration cancelled Dec 23, 2003 · Rhoades Gordon L RTRWY INTL EXEC 162FS/N 6134 · Built 2001Airframe modelRhoades Gordon L RTRWY INTL EXEC 162FEngine modelRotorway RW152Reciprocating

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 pilot attempted to land an experimental helicopter, N25GR, at his residence privacy data omitted the pilot reported the helicopter engine started to missfire, backfire and lose power. The pilot said he immediately began to auto rotate from approximately 500 foot AGL and touched down in a soybean field adjacent to a grass area. The helicopter skidded approximately 10 feet. On touch down the left front landing skid dut into the soft ground causing the aircraft to tilt toward the left. The main rotor blades struck the ground bending one blade downward, and the other blade upward. The main rotor blade reportedly struck the tail boom severing it in half. The tail rotor assembly, with part of the tail boom attached to it, separated from the helicopter and came to rest approximately 40 feet from the aircraft fuselage. The helicopter apparently touched down facing east and came to rest facing south approximately 20 feet from the initial touchdown point. The pilot was the only person aboard at the time of the accident and did not suffer any injuries.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND AN EXPERIMENTAL HELICOPTER, N25GR, AT HIS RESIDENCE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THE PILOT REPORTED THE HELICOPTER ENGINE STARTED TO MISSFIRE, BACKFIRE AND LOSE POWER. THE PILOT SAID HE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO AUTO ROTATE FROM APPROXIMATELY 500 FOOT AGL AND TOUCHED DOWN IN A SOYBEAN FIELD ADJACENT TO A GRASS AREA. THE HELICOPTER SKIDDED APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET. ON TOUCH DOWN THE LEFT FRONT LANDING SKID DUT INTO THE SOFT GROUND CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO TILT TOWARD THE LEFT. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE GROUND BENDING ONE BLADE DOWNWARD, AND THE OTHER BLADE UPWARD. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE REPORTEDLY STRUCK THE TAIL BOOM SEVERING IT IN HALF. THE TAIL ROTOR ASSEMBLY, WITH PART OF THE TAIL BOOM ATTACHED TO IT, SEPARATED FROM THE HELICOPTER AND CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 40 FEET FROM THE AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE. THE HELICOPTER APPARENTLY TOUCHED DOWN FACING EAST AND CAME TO REST FACING SOUTH APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET FROM THE INITIAL TOUCHDOWN POINT. THE PILOT WAS THE ONLY PERSON ABOARD AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND DID NOT SUFFER ANY INJURIES.

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 IAD01LA109Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportWhitehouse, OHThe soft terrain condition, which resulted in the helicopter's rollover during the forced landing. A factor was the loss of engine power due to engine overtemperature for undetermined reasons.Sep 30, 2001 · Substantial damage