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20091128051679A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Robinson He R22 · Indian Key, FL · November 28, 2009

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
November 28, 2009 · 14:30 local
Place
Indian Key, FL
Phase of flight
Ground/Ramp/Ma
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N324GS
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA10CA083
Reported as
Robinson He R22
Reported engine
Lycoming O-360 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
23,000 total350 in this make and model9 in the last 90 days
N324GSRegistration cancelled Dec 31, 2009 · Robinson Helicopter R22S/N 3307 · Built 2002Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R22Engine modelLycoming O-360 seriesReciprocating

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.

Pilot took off from backyard of his house at mile marker 88 in islamorada, FL and flew at 500' along the ocean shoreline to approximately mile marker 75 when he noticed the clutch light seemed to be blinking a little more than normal. He turned around and started back when noticing no one was on Indian Key. Pilot landed to check the drive belts. Pilot set the RPM at 70% and tightened the friction on the cyclic and but failed to set on the lock on the collective. Pilot left the aircraft running and exited the aircraft to open the cowlings and check the belts. This took 2 minutes according to pilots statement. As the pilot was walking back to the cockpit, the aircraft started to lift off on its own. Pilot quickly tried to reach in and lower the collective but was too late and up it went with the pilot hanging on the outside. About 10 feet off the ground the pilot lets go and fell to the ground breaking his left arm and the helicopter went up another 200 feet high and 600 yards away before crashing into the atlantic ocean in five feet of water.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT TOOK OFF FROM BACKYARD OF HIS HOUSE AT MILE MARKER 88 IN ISLAMORADA, FL AND FLEW AT 500' ALONG THE OCEAN SHORELINE TO APPROXIMATELY MILE MARKER 75 WHEN HE NOTICED THE CLUTCH LIGHT SEEMED TO BE BLINKING A LITTLE MORE THAN NORMAL. HE TURNED AROUND AND STARTED BACK WHEN NOTICING NO ONE WAS ON INDIAN KEY. PILOT LANDED TO CHECK THE DRIVE BELTS. PILOT SET THE RPM AT 70% AND TIGHTENED THE FRICTION ON THE CYCLIC AND BUT FAILED TO SET ON THE LOCK ON THE COLLECTIVE. PILOT LEFT THE AIRCRAFT RUNNING AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT TO OPEN THE COWLINGS AND CHECK THE BELTS. THIS TOOK 2 MINUTES ACCORDING TO PILOTS STATEMENT. AS THE PILOT WAS WALKING BACK TO THE COCKPIT, THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO LIFT OFF ON ITS OWN. PILOT QUICKLY TRIED TO REACH IN AND LOWER THE COLLECTIVE BUT WAS TOO LATE AND UP IT WENT WITH THE PILOT HANGING ON THE OUTSIDE. ABOUT 10 FEET OFF THE GROUND THE PILOT LETS GO AND FELL TO THE GROUND BREAKING HIS LEFT ARM AND THE HELICOPTER WENT UP ANOTHER 200 FEET HIGH AND 600 YARDS AWAY BEFORE CRASHING INTO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN IN FIVE FEET OF WATER.

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 ERA10CA083Accident · Serious injuriesData collectionFinal reportIndian Key, FLThe pilot's failure to secure the collective control prior to departing the helicopter, which resulted in an unmanned departure and subsequent crash of the helicopter.Nov 28, 2009 · Substantial damage