# Accident 20020119000339A: Amtr EXEC162F, St Petersburg, FL, January 19, 2002

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 19, 2002, 15:05 local time
- Place: St Petersburg, FL
- Airport: Albert Whitted Airport
- Damage: No damage
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 27.7650° N, 82.6269° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.7650&lon=-82.6269&mi=10
- Aircraft: N162LE (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: AMTR EXEC162F
- Fatal injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL02LA042](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL02LA042) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020119000339A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(.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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ATL02LA042](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL02LA042), Jan 19, 2002: Louis Edmondson 162F (N162LE), St. Petersburg, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's decision to continue flight with demonstrated inadequate takeoff performance capability, which resulted in an in-flight loss of control and subsequent hard landing.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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