What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft privacy data omitted and pilot at the time of the accident privacy data omitted had an auto governor kit installed on this aircraft. Auto governor was a kit made specifically for the rotorway exec and it was installed by an airframe and powerplant mechanic on March 8, 2010. Operating limitations for this experimental amatuer built helicopter required, for a major change, coordination with the FSDO and five hours in a test flight area and then a sign off in the maintenance records. This change was not coordinated with the FSDO nor was the pilot operating in an authorized test flight area. The pilot had put .5 hours on this aircraft on December 6, 2012, over two years after the install of this auto governor. On the second flight with this auto governor instalation. On the date of the accident as the pilot lifted the aircraft to a hover, the autogovernor failed and engine RPM went to the high side and the pilot lost control of the helicopter.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND PILOT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD AN AUTO GOVERNOR KIT INSTALLED ON THIS AIRCRAFT. AUTO GOVERNOR WAS A KIT MADE SPECIFICALLY FOR THE ROTORWAY EXEC AND IT WAS INSTALLED BY AN AIRFRAME AND POWERPLANT MECHANIC ON MARCH 8, 2010. OPERATING LIMITATIONS FOR THIS EXPERIMENTAL AMATUER BUILT HELICOPTER REQUIRED, FOR A MAJOR CHANGE, COORDINATION WITH THE FSDO AND FIVE HOURS IN A TEST FLIGHT AREA AND THEN A SIGN OFF IN THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS. THIS CHANGE WAS NOT COORDINATED WITH THE FSDO NOR WAS THE PILOT OPERATING IN AN AUTHORIZED TEST FLIGHT AREA. THE PILOT HAD PUT .5 HOURS ON THIS AIRCRAFT ON DECEMBER 6, 2012, OVER TWO YEARS AFTER THE INSTALL OF THIS AUTO GOVERNOR. ON THE SECOND FLIGHT WITH THIS AUTO GOVERNOR INSTALATION. ON THE DATE OF THE ACCIDENT AS THE PILOT LIFTED THE AIRCRAFT TO A HOVER, THE AUTOGOVERNOR FAILED AND ENGINE RPM WENT TO THE HIGH SIDE AND THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.