What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Private pilot privacy data omitted was the sole occupant while conducting external load operations, moving christmas trees on his private property. During a post accident interview, privacy data omitted said that he was hovering above a load he intended to pick up and a momentary lack of attention on his part caused the aircraft to enter an unrecoverable state of "settling with power". The pilot then claims to have initiated recovery procedures but due to close proximity to the tree tops he was forced to make an auto rotation into the trees. The accident site investigation substantiates this claim with evidence of where the main rotor struck the tress and the aircraft impacted the ground. privacy data omitted Has made a hand written statement and quoted as follows:"was flying southwesterly to hook up load when noticed drop in RPM both in engine and rotor. Immediately lowered collective and turned face into the wind (or sw) to try and regain RPM. Still RPM was falling believe I went into rotor ring state (settling with power) had to enter auto rotation and land into the trees." During the post accident interview on October 27, 2012, FAA inspector lance johnson, asked privacy data omitted if there were any other anomalies regarding the aircraft or environment, which may have contributed to this accident. privacy data omitted Responded "no, the thing was running great, I wish there was something else but it was all me".inspector johnson also asked privacy data omitted if had a 133 certificate he responded that he did not and the operations he was conducting were not for compensation that it was his private property and for his christmas tree farm.
As the FAA filed it
PRIVATE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT WHILE CONDUCTING EXTERNAL LOAD OPERATIONS, MOVING CHRISTMAS TREES ON HIS PRIVATE PROPERTY. DURING A POST ACCIDENT INTERVIEW, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAID THAT HE WAS HOVERING ABOVE A LOAD HE INTENDED TO PICK UP AND A MOMENTARY LACK OF ATTENTION ON HIS PART CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO ENTER AN UNRECOVERABLE STATE OF "SETTLING WITH POWER". THE PILOT THEN CLAIMS TO HAVE INITIATED RECOVERY PROCEDURES BUT DUE TO CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE TREE TOPS HE WAS FORCED TO MAKE AN AUTO ROTATION INTO THE TREES. THE ACCIDENT SITE INVESTIGATION SUBSTANTIATES THIS CLAIM WITH EVIDENCE OF WHERE THE MAIN ROTOR STRUCK THE TRESS AND THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAS MADE A HAND WRITTEN STATEMENT AND QUOTED AS FOLLOWS:"WAS FLYING SOUTHWESTERLY TO HOOK UP LOAD WHEN NOTICED DROP IN RPM BOTH IN ENGINE AND ROTOR. IMMEDIATELY LOWERED COLLECTIVE AND TURNED FACE INTO THE WIND (OR SW) TO TRY AND REGAIN RPM. STILL RPM WAS FALLING BELIEVE I WENT INTO ROTOR RING STATE (SETTLING WITH POWER) HAD TO ENTER AUTO ROTATION AND LAND INTO THE TREES." DURING THE POST ACCIDENT INTERVIEW ON OCTOBER 27, 2012, FAA INSPECTOR LANCE JOHNSON, ASKED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IF THERE WERE ANY OTHER ANOMALIES REGARDING THE AIRCRAFT OR ENVIRONMENT, WHICH MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS ACCIDENT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ RESPONDED "NO, THE THING WAS RUNNING GREAT, I WISH THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE BUT IT WAS ALL ME".INSPECTOR JOHNSON ALSO ASKED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IF HAD A 133 CERTIFICATE HE RESPONDED THAT HE DID NOT AND THE OPERATIONS HE WAS CONDUCTING WERE NOT FOR COMPENSATION THAT IT WAS HIS PRIVATE PROPERTY AND FOR HIS CHRISTMAS TREE FARM.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N7530F · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.