20090715013139A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Amtr Rotorwayexec · Sprague, WA · July 15, 2009

Date: July 15, 2009 · 17:30 local
Place: Sprague, WA
Airport: Redfern Aerodrome
Phase of flight: Hovering
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N3213K
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR09LA350
Reported as: Amtr Rotorwayexec
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,450 total6 in this make and model6 in the last 90 days

N3213KRegistration cancelled Sep 3, 2022 · Bielawa Richard L ROTORWAY EXEC 162FS/N 6804 · Built 2008 Airframe modelBielawa Richard L ROTORWAY EXEC 162F 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) The pilot was receiving instructions for hovering the helicopter from a reated helicopter instructor pilot. After the ghird hour of hover time at a height of 2 to 3 feet above the ground the helicopter very violently rolled around the longitudinal axis and slammed into the ground. The pilot had applied full right cyclic with no effect. The rotorcraft substained substantial damage and the pilot received a substantial gash to his head.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT WAS RECEIVING INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOVERING THE HELICOPTER FROM A REATED HELICOPTER INSTRUCTOR PILOT. AFTER THE GHIRD HOUR OF HOVER TIME AT A HEIGHT OF 2 TO 3 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND THE HELICOPTER VERY VIOLENTLY ROLLED AROUND THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS AND SLAMMED INTO THE GROUND. THE PILOT HAD APPLIED FULL RIGHT CYCLIC WITH NO EFFECT. THE ROTORCRAFT SUBSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE PILOT RECEIVED A SUBSTANTIAL GASH TO HIS HEAD.

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 WPR09LA350Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSequim, WAThe failure (disbonding) of a composite main rotor blade for undetermined reasons, leading to an immediate loss of control in flight during hover.Jul 16, 2009 · Substantial damage