What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On September 24, at 1415 hours the pilot privacy data omitted, a student rotorcraft pilot, attempted his first solo flight at Skiatook airport (2F6). The weather was clear with a 12 knot wind from about 350 degrees. The temperature was cool. The pilot indicated he was cautioned by his instructor that the aircraft would behave differently without his weight in the aircraft. The pilot privacy data omitted told me he still was not prepared for the quickness of the controls during lift off. This startled him and he believes he over corrected, for a little left yaw, which resulted in the main rotor striking the ground and the aircraft rolling over on its side. This caused substantial damage to the aircraft. The tail boom was bent when the aircraft rolled over to its side and the tail boom was struck by the main rotor. When I asked him about air density on this day he indicated he had not really figured that into how the aircraft might respond. All his training had been during the very hot part of the summer. He acknowledged he should have taken that into account but did not.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON SEPTEMBER 24, AT 1415 HOURS THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DAT^, A STUDENT ROTORCRAFT PILOT, ATTEMPTED HIS FIRST SOLO FLIGHT AT SKIATOOK AIRPORT (2F6). THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR WITH A 12 KNOT WIND FROM ABOUT 350 DEGREES. THE TEMPERATURE WAS COOL. THE PILOT INDICATED HE WAS CAUTIONED BY HIS INSTRUCTOR THAT THE AIRCRAFT WOULD BEHAVE DIFFERENTLY WITHOUT HIS WEIGHT IN THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY D^ TOLD ME HE STILL WAS NOT PREPARED FOR THE QUICKNESS OF THE CONTROLS DURING LIFT OFF. THIS STARTLED HIM AND HE BELIEVES HE OVER CORRECTED, FOR A LITTLE LEFT YAW, WHICH RESULTED IN THE MAIN ROTOR STRIKING THE GROUND AND THE AIRCRAFT ROLLING OVER ON ITS SIDE. THIS CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE TAIL BOOM WAS BENT WHEN THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED OVER TO ITS SIDE AND THE TAIL BOOM WAS STRUCK BY THE MAIN ROTOR. WHEN I ASKED HIM ABOUT AIR DENSITY ON THIS DAY HE INDICATED HE HAD NOT REALLY FIGURED THAT INTO HOW THE AIRCRAFT MIGHT RESPOND. ALL HIS TRAINING HAD BEEN DURING THE VERY HOT PART OF THE SUMMER. HE ACKNOWLEDGED HE SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THAT INTO ACCOUNT BUT DID NOT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.