20081225856819A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Moore DM-1 · Salters, SC · December 25, 2008

Date: December 25, 2008 · 14:50 local
Place: Salters, SC
Phase of flight: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N75EW
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA09LA107
Reported as: Moore DM1
Reported engine: Lycoming O360*
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 6,315 total5 in this make and model200 in the last 90 days

N75EWRegistered now · Moore David DM-1S/N 1957 · Built 2004 Airframe modelMoore David DM-1 Engine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

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) On December 25, 2008, at approximately 1450 local time, an experimental amateur built helicopter owned by haddock flying service of Salters, SC was being piloted by privacy data omitted while operating this helicopter from a farm field and enroute to an adjacent farm strip owned by privacy data omitted, the pilot lost control of the helicopter. At an approximate altitude of 800 to 1000 feet, the helicopter started to descend, it wobbled, slowed down forward speed and impacted the field with little or no control by the pilot. After the first impact, the helicopter then flipped and impacted the ground a second time, ejecting the pilot forward of the helicopter approximate 50-60 feet. The passenger remained strapped in the passenger seat, he later released himself and crawled to the pilots side. There was no fire. Both occupants were air lifted to a local hospital with minor injuries.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON DECEMBER 25, 2008, AT APPROXIMATELY 1450 LOCAL TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR BUILT HELICOPTER OWNED BY HADDOCK FLYING SERVICE OF SALTERS, SC WAS BEING PILOTED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WHILE OPERATING THIS HELICOPTER FROM A FARM FIELD AND ENROUTE TO AN ADJACENT FARM STRIP OWNED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER. AT AN APPROXIMATE ALTITUDE OF 800 TO 1000 FEET, THE HELICOPTER STARTED TO DESCEND, IT WOBBLED, SLOWED DOWN FORWARD SPEED AND IMPACTED THE FIELD WITH LITTLE OR NO CONTROL BY THE PILOT. AFTER THE FIRST IMPACT, THE HELICOPTER THEN FLIPPED AND IMPACTED THE GROUND A SECOND TIME, EJECTING THE PILOT FORWARD OF THE HELICOPTER APPROXIMATE 50-60 FEET. THE PASSENGER REMAINED STRAPPED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, HE LATER RELEASED HIMSELF AND CRAWLED TO THE PILOTS SIDE. THERE WAS NO FIRE. BOTH OCCUPANTS WERE AIR LIFTED TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL WITH MINOR INJURIES.

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 ERA09LA107Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSalters, SCA hard landing following an autorotation that resulted from the separation of the red main rotor blade cap that led to the uncontrolled movement of the cyclic, autorotation and a hard landing.Dec 25, 2008 · Substantial damage