What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On January 19, 2002, at 1505 eastern standard time, a louis edmondson rotorway 162E helicopter, N162LE registered to a private owner landed hard during an aborted liftoff from Albert Whitted Airport in st. Petersburg, Florida, following a loss of engine RPM. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of title 14 CFR part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed for the flight. The commercial pilot and passenger received minor injuries, and the helicopter sustained substantial damage. The flight was originating from st. Petersburg, Florida, at the time of the accident. According to the pilot, during the attempted liftoff, approximately 10 to 15 feet above the ground, the rotor RPM dropped. The pilot elected to continue the liftoff and increased engine power; the power increase did not increase the rotor RPM. The helicopter touched down hard on the right front skid as the pilot aborted the takeoff. The preliminary examination of the helicopter revealed damage to the right front skid, damage to the rotor system, separation of the tail boom assembly and a broken canopy. (-23) on 01/19/02 at 1505 EST, a rotorway experimental helicopter, model louis edmondson 162F, N162LE registered to a private owner, nosed over during an aborted down wind liftoff after losing mainrotor RPM power. The pilot william patrick trefny, certificate no.2173446 and the passenger john chadwick survived the crash and were transported to the local hospital for treatment. Only the pilot received minor injuries. The helicopter crashed approx. 70 feet south from the center of runway 06/24 at Albert Whitted Airport located at 107 8th ave. in st. Petersburg Florida. The helicopter sustained major damage. This was a personal flight operated under provision of the title 14 CFR part 91 and occurred while VMC conditions prevailed. The local ATC tower reported the weather at the time of the accident as having, 10-mile visibility, wind bearing at 200 degrees, with variable gust up to 20 mph, temperature 24.18C and barometric pressure @ 2997 in.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON JANUARY 19, 2002, AT 1505 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A LOUIS EDMONDSON ROTORWAY 162E HELICOPTER, N162LE REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE OWNER LANDED HARD DURING AN ABORTED LIFTOFF FROM ALBERT WHITTED AIRPORT IN ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA, FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE RPM. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE FLIGHT. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES, AND THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING FROM ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA, AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, DURING THE ATTEMPTED LIFTOFF, APPROXIMATELY 10 TO 15 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE ROTOR RPM DROPPED. THE PILOT ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE LIFTOFF AND INCREASED ENGINE POWER; THE POWER INCREASE DID NOT INCREASE THE ROTOR RPM. THE HELICOPTER TOUCHED DOWN HARD ON THE RIGHT FRONT SKID AS THE PILOT ABORTED THE TAKEOFF. THE PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER REVEALED DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT FRONT SKID, DAMAGE TO THE ROTOR SYSTEM, SEPARATION OF THE TAIL BOOM ASSEMBLY AND A BROKEN CANOPY. (-23) ON 01/19/02 AT 1505 EST, A ROTORWAY EXPERIMENTAL HELICOPTER, MODEL LOUIS EDMONDSON 162F, N162LE REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE OWNER, NOSED OVER DURING AN ABORTED DOWN WIND LIFTOFF AFTER LOSING MAINROTOR RPM POWER. THE PILOT WILLIAM PATRICK TREFNY, CERTIFICATE NO.2173446 AND THE PASSENGER JOHN CHADWICK SURVIVED THE CRASH AND WERE TRANSPORTED TO THE LOCAL HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT. ONLY THE PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE HELICOPTER CRASHED APPROX. 70 FEET SOUTH FROM THE CENTER OF RUNWAY 06/24 AT ALBERT WHITTED AIRPORT LOCATED AT 107 8TH AVE. IN ST. PETERSBURG FLORIDA. THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED MAJOR DAMAGE. THIS WAS A PERSONAL FLIGHT OPERATED UNDER PROVISION OF THE TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 AND OCCURRED WHILE VMC CONDITIONS PREVAILED. THE LOCAL ATC TOWER REPORTED THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AS HAVING, 10-MILE VISIBILITY, WIND BEARING AT 200 DEGREES, WITH VARIABLE GUST UP TO 20 MPH, TEMPERATURE 24.18C AND BAROMETRIC PRESSURE @ 2997 IN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.