20061121031179A

(-23) INSPECTOR'S STATEMENT: I ARRIVED AT THE LAKELAND AIRPORT AROUND 1620 AND FOUND N2302A, A ROBINSON R-22 BETA HELICOPTER, LYING ON ITS LEFT SIDE. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DID NOT SUFFER ANY INJURIES. THE PASSENGER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD MINOR INJURIES AND HAD BEEN TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL AS A PRECAUTION AND LATER RELEASED. THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. BOTH WINDSHIELDS WERE PARTIALLY POPPED OUT, THE TOP HALF OF THE INSTRUMENT PEDESTAL WAS PARTIALLY SEPARATED, THE LANDING GEAR LEFT REAR ATTACH POINT SEPARATED (THE OTHER ATTACH POINTS WERE INTACT), THE BATTERY AND MOUNT WAS PARTIALLY DETACHED AND DISPLACED FROM ITS NORMAL POSITION, THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES SHOWED SIGNS OF ABRASION ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE LEADING EDGES, ONE MAIN ROTOR BLADE HAD ROTATED 90 DEGREES (LEADING EDGE DOWN), BOTH MAIN ROTOR PITCH CHANGE LINKS WERE ATTACHED, BOTH MAIN ROTOR BLADES HAD MOST OF THE BLADE FILLETS BEHIND THE SPAR SEPARATED AND SCATTERED ACROSS THE RAMP, BOTH MAIN ROTOR BLADES SUFFERED HEAVY ABRASIONS AT THE OUTBOARD THREE FEET OF THE LEADING EDGES AND LOWER SURFACE, THE MAIN ROTOR PYLON WAS DISPLACED SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT (CONTROL TUBES INSIDE COULD BE HEARD SCRAPING THE PYLON WALL), THE TAIL BOOM WAS BENT ADJACENT TO THE FUSELAGE ATTACH POINT. A SMALL AMOUNT OF FUEL WAS FOUND ON THE GROUND. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ USES THIS HELICOPTER IN A 14 CFR PART 61 FLIGHT SCHOOL WHICH ALSO GIVES RIDES TO THOSE WHO WANT THE EXPERIENCE OF FLYING IN A HELICOPTER. THE COMPANY NAME IS ELITE HELICOPTERS (WWW.FLYELITEHELICOPTERS.COM). HE SAID IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A "HELICOPTER EXPERIENCE" FLIGHT. THIS WAS THE SECOND FLIGHT OF THE DAY. HE STATED THE PASSENGER HAD HER HAND LIGHTLY ON THE CYCLIC FOR PICTURES. HE SAID WHEN HE PICKED THE AIRCRAFT UP TO A HOVER HE FELT THE AIRCRAFT MOVING TO THE LEFT. HE SAID HE THEN ASKED THE PASSENGER IF SHE WAS PUSHING THE CYCLIC LEFT AND HER RESPONSE WAS NO. THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED TO THE OPERATOR'S HANGAR (#96) ON THE AIRFIELD. ON 11-22-06 I RETURNED TO LAKELAND TO INSPECT THE HELICOPTER IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION. THE PILOT'S WIFE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ LEFT ME IN THE HANGAR. SHE SAID THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WASN'T FEELING WELL AND IF I NEEDED ANYTHING SHE COULD GET IT. I CHECKED AND FOUND THAT ALL CYCLIC, COLLECTIVE AND TAIL ROTOR CONTROLS HAD CONTINUITY. I CONFIRMED THAT THIS MODEL HELICOPTER DID NOT HAVE HYDRAULICS. THE AIRCRAFT FLIGHT MANUAL WAS EXAMINED FOR WEIGHT AND BALANCE INFORMATION. THE MANUAL STATED THE MAX GROSS WEIGHT WAS 1370 LBS, MAX PER SEAT WAS 240, AND THE BASIC EMPTY WEIGHT AS OF 1-16-06 WAS 897.1. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ BROUGHT ME THE MAINTENANCE LOGS, PILOT LOGS AND THE WEIGHT AND BALANCE INFORMATION FOR THE FLIGHT. THE PILOT WEIGHT WAS 190 LB AND THE PASSENGER WEIGHT 235. IT IS UNKNOWN HOW MUCH FUEL WAS IN THE AIRCRAFT BUT THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN FUELED PRIOR TO THE FIRST 20 MINUTE RIDE WITH FOUR GALLONS. ON THE PREVIOUS DAY THE AIRCRAFT WAS FUELED TWICE WITH FOUR GALLONS EACH TIME AND A TOTAL OF 1.1 FLIGHT HOURS. PERSONNEL AT THE FUELING ENTITY, LANDMARK AVIATION, STATED ELITE HELICOPTERS USUALLY REQUEST SMALL AMOUNTS SUCH AS FOUR AND EIGHT GALLONS. THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION ON THE HELICOPTER WAS 10-20-06. I INTERVIEWED THE PASSENGER AT HER HOME IN SPRINGHILL, FLORIDA. SHE DEMONSTRATED HOW TIGHT SHE WAS GRASPING THE CYCLIC BY LIGHTLY HOLDING MY FINGERS. SHE SAID HER LEFT LEG WAS NOT NEAR ENOUGH TO THE CENTER POST OF THE CYCLIC TO TOUCH IT. WHEN ASKED WHAT THE PILOT SAID DURING TAKE OFF, SHE SAID HE DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING. SHE STATED THAT THE PILOT HAD BOTH HANDS ON THE STICK ON HIS LEFT (COLLECTIVE) AND HE GRABBED THE CONTROL (CYCLIC) AS THE HELICOPTER LIFTED OFF THE GROUND. A MEMBER OF THE PASSENGER'S FAMILY WAS FILMING THE FLIGHT AND THE AIRCRAFT OPERATOR HAD A VIDEO CAMERA INSIDE THE HELICOPTER TO FILM THE PASSENGER.