What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N6057, a Hiller UH-12C was purchased in June 2014 by vertically challenged, LLC. privacy data omitted, The student at the time of accident is the co-owner.
Prior to the accident, maintenance was performed at east coast helicopter, inc. the 100 hr and annual inspection was completed June 16, 2014. Maintenance performed included a replacement of the forward tail rotor cable and a re-rigging of the tail rotor system. N6057, subsequently flew 10.2 hobbs hours from time of maintenance to time of accident.
Aircraft was evaluated to be in compliance with certification, airworthiness directives and maintenance.
The instructor pilot, privacy data omitted is a professional pilot with over 3000 flight hours and was recently qualified in the Hiller aircraft after receiving instruction from privacy data omitted at culpeper airport. privacy data omitted Is properly certificated as a pilot and flight instructor. He had the required currency and meet all regulatory requirements to act as the PIC and flight instructor for the flight.
The student and co-owner is also a professional pilot with over 3800 flight hours in fixed wing aircraft. privacy data omitted Was new to helicopters. privacy data omitted Had previously flown solo twice in the Hiller prior to the accident. privacy data omitted Was properly certificated to act as student on the day of the accident.
On November 24, 2014, privacy data omitted and privacy data omitted completed their pre-flight planning and briefed for an instructional flight from Leesburg airport (jyo). Winds were reported to be 220 at 16 KTS gusting to 21KTS. Both pilots completed the preflight inspection with no anomalies noted. The aircraft was positioned with the nose pointing a heading of 300. This created the conditions for a direct left crosswind for the takeoff.
At approximately 1130 local, privacy data omitted, the pilot at the controls, sitting in the center position completed startup of the aircraft. The instructor, privacy data omitted was seated on the left. The pilot at the controls picked up into a hover and stabilized for a 3-4 seconds, but then developed a slow rotation to the right. The student input left pedal with no correction notable. As the rotation continued, the instructor took the controls, input full left pedal and immediately closed the throttle to stop the spin (approx 1 3/4 rotations completed). Aircraft descended with an aft drift and tail low attitude. On touchdown, the aircraft impacted the tow dolly sitting on the ramp.
Upon post flight inspection, both pilots noted the damage to the tail rotor and also noted excessive play in the tail rotor cables.
The following day, the other co-owner of the aircraft, discovered the right cable spring that is attached to the right tail rotor pedal was disconnected.
As the FAA filed it
N6057, A HILLER UH-12C WAS PURCHASED IN JUNE 2014 BY VERTICALLY CHALLENGED, LLC. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, THE STUDENT AT THE TIME OF ACCIDENT IS THE CO-OWNER.
PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, MAINTENANCE WAS PERFORMED AT EAST COAST HELICOPTER, INC. THE 100 HR AND ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED JUNE 16, 2014. MAINTENANCE PERFORMED INCLUDED A REPLACEMENT OF THE FORWARD TAIL ROTOR CABLE AND A RE-RIGGING OF THE TAIL ROTOR SYSTEM. N6057, SUBSEQUENTLY FLEW 10.2 HOBBS HOURS FROM TIME OF MAINTENANCE TO TIME OF ACCIDENT.
AIRCRAFT WAS EVALUATED TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH CERTIFICATION, AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES AND MAINTENANCE.
THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IS A PROFESSIONAL PILOT WITH OVER 3000 FLIGHT HOURS AND WAS RECENTLY QUALIFIED IN THE HILLER AIRCRAFT AFTER RECEIVING INSTRUCTION FROM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AT CULPEPER AIRPORT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IS PROPERLY CERTIFICATED AS A PILOT AND FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR. HE HAD THE REQUIRED CURRENCY AND MEET ALL REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS TO ACT AS THE PIC AND FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR FOR THE FLIGHT.
THE STUDENT AND CO-OWNER IS ALSO A PROFESSIONAL PILOT WITH OVER 3800 FLIGHT HOURS IN FIXED WING AIRCRAFT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS NEW TO HELICOPTERS. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD PREVIOUSLY FLOWN SOLO TWICE IN THE HILLER PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS PROPERLY CERTIFICATED TO ACT AS STUDENT ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT.
ON NOVEMBER 24, 2014, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ COMPLETED THEIR PRE-FLIGHT PLANNING AND BRIEFED FOR AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT FROM LEESBURG AIRPORT (JYO). WINDS WERE REPORTED TO BE 220 AT 16 KTS GUSTING TO 21KTS. BOTH PILOTS COMPLETED THE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION WITH NO ANOMALIES NOTED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS POSITIONED WITH THE NOSE POINTING A HEADING OF 300. THIS CREATED THE CONDITIONS FOR A DIRECT LEFT CROSSWIND FOR THE TAKEOFF.
AT APPROXIMATELY 1130 LOCAL, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, THE PILOT AT THE CONTROLS, SITTING IN THE CENTER POSITION COMPLETED STARTUP OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE INSTRUCTOR, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS SEATED ON THE LEFT. THE PILOT AT THE CONTROLS PICKED UP INTO A HOVER AND STABILIZED FOR A 3-4 SECONDS, BUT THEN DEVELOPED A SLOW ROTATION TO THE RIGHT. THE STUDENT INPUT LEFT PEDAL WITH NO CORRECTION NOTABLE. AS THE ROTATION CONTINUED, THE INSTRUCTOR TOOK THE CONTROLS, INPUT FULL LEFT PEDAL AND IMMEDIATELY CLOSED THE THROTTLE TO STOP THE SPIN (APPROX 1 3/4 ROTATIONS COMPLETED). AIRCRAFT DESCENDED WITH AN AFT DRIFT AND TAIL LOW ATTITUDE. ON TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE TOW DOLLY SITTING ON THE RAMP.
UPON POST FLIGHT INSPECTION, BOTH PILOTS NOTED THE DAMAGE TO THE TAIL ROTOR AND ALSO NOTED EXCESSIVE PLAY IN THE TAIL ROTOR CABLES.
THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE OTHER CO-OWNER OF THE AIRCRAFT, DISCOVERED THE RIGHT CABLE SPRING THAT IS ATTACHED TO THE RIGHT TAIL ROTOR PEDAL WAS DISCONNECTED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.