20070524012969A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Westld WASP HAS MK1 · Ramona, CA · May 24, 2007

Date: May 24, 2007 · 19:50 local
Place: Ramona, CA
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N612VH
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX07LA173
Reported as: Westld WASPHASMK1
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 0 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days

N612VHRegistered now · Westland WASP HAS MK1S/N F87411 · Built 1969 Airframe modelWestland WASP HAS MK1

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) The pilot stated that during cruise flight at about 200 feet and 100 knots, the cyclic control started to oscillate and became hard to operate. A vibration was detected and feeling that he may be losing control of the aircraft, the pilot initiated a rapid descent. When the helicopter neared the ground, the pilot had trouble with the controls and the tailrotor/tailboom hit the top of a tree. The aircraft hit the ground with enough force to cause the landing gear to collapse. There were only minor injuries, but substantial damage to the aircraft. Cause has not yet been established due to extensive damage to the aircraft and lack of technical date pertaining to this helicopter. This is an older foreign (british) helicopter operated in experimental exhibition category.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING CRUISE FLIGHT AT ABOUT 200 FEET AND 100 KNOTS, THE CYCLIC CONTROL STARTED TO OSCILLATE AND BECAME HARD TO OPERATE. A VIBRATION WAS DETECTED AND FEELING THAT HE MAY BE LOSING CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, THE PILOT INITIATED A RAPID DESCENT. WHEN THE HELICOPTER NEARED THE GROUND, THE PILOT HAD TROUBLE WITH THE CONTROLS AND THE TAILROTOR/TAILBOOM HIT THE TOP OF A TREE. THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE GROUND WITH ENOUGH FORCE TO CAUSE THE LANDING GEAR TO COLLAPSE. THERE WERE ONLY MINOR INJURIES, BUT SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. CAUSE HAS NOT YET BEEN ESTABLISHED DUE TO EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND LACK OF TECHNICAL DATE PERTAINING TO THIS HELICOPTER. THIS IS AN OLDER FOREIGN (BRITISH) HELICOPTER OPERATED IN EXPERIMENTAL EXHIBITION CATEGORY.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX07LA173Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportRamona, CAFailure of the pilot to maintain clearance from a tree while performing a precautionary landing. Contributing to the accident was the failure of a snubber dampener that induced a severe vibration in the rotor system.May 25, 2007 · Substantial damage