20040808017299I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Amtr RAF 2000 · Hamilton, OH · August 8, 2004

Date: August 8, 2004 · 17:20 local
Place: Hamilton, OH
Airport: Hamilton Fairfield Airport
Phase of flight: Takeoff Ground Roll
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N974J
Reported as: Amtr RAF2000
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 500 total120 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days

N974JRegistered now · Sanders Jerry L RAF 2000S/N H29672460 · Built 2001 Airframe modelSanders Jerry L RAF 2000 Engine modelSubaru ALL MDLS A/B4 cycle

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) Attempting to take-off from runway 29 the pilot re-rotated the main rotor and advanced power. During the take-off roll the pilot checked the main rotor RPM and noted 160RPM. At this point he was traveling approximately 30MPH. As he approached take-off speed of 50MPH he again checked main rotor RPM and the display was blank. Full power should not be applied to this aircraft until main rotor speed reaches 200RPM. The pilot elected to continue the take-off and applied full power. The main rotor became unstable resulting in severe vibration. When the pilot reduced power the main rotor struck the ground causing the aircraft to exit the left side of the runway, where the left landing gear collapsed and the aircraft came to rest.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ATTEMPTING TO TAKE-OFF FROM RUNWAY 29 THE PILOT RE-ROTATED THE MAIN ROTOR AND ADVANCED POWER. DURING THE TAKE-OFF ROLL THE PILOT CHECKED THE MAIN ROTOR RPM AND NOTED 160RPM. AT THIS POINT HE WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 30MPH. AS HE APPROACHED TAKE-OFF SPEED OF 50MPH HE AGAIN CHECKED MAIN ROTOR RPM AND THE DISPLAY WAS BLANK. FULL POWER SHOULD NOT BE APPLIED TO THIS AIRCRAFT UNTIL MAIN ROTOR SPEED REACHES 200RPM. THE PILOT ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE TAKE-OFF AND APPLIED FULL POWER. THE MAIN ROTOR BECAME UNSTABLE RESULTING IN SEVERE VIBRATION. WHEN THE PILOT REDUCED POWER THE MAIN ROTOR STRUCK THE GROUND CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO EXIT THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, WHERE THE LEFT LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST.