20150620021649A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Paquin Michael A A · Concord, NH · June 20, 2015

Date: June 20, 2015 · 12:30 local
Place: Concord, NH
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N485MP
NTSB investigation: NTSBGAA15CA127
Reported as: Paquin Michael A A
Reported engine: Compact Ra MZ202
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Sport pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 90 total60 in this make and model4 in the last 90 days

N485MPRegistered now · Paquin Michael A AS/N 1-2011 · Built 2011 Airframe modelPaquin Michael A A Engine modelCompact Ra MZ2022 cycle

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 proceeded to the runway from taxiway and lined up on runway centerline when pilot noticed the aircraft electronic altimeter had powered down to idle mode and needed to be reset. This was the distraction that lead to the failure to release rotor brake. The engaged rotor brake caused the rotor speed to decay quickly leading to the rotor flap condition. Also, contributing to rotor flap, was the varying wind direction, which may have increased the amount of air passing through the slower rotor, escalating the rotor flap, ultimately causing the rollover.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT PROCEEDED TO THE RUNWAY FROM TAXIWAY AND LINED UP ON RUNWAY CENTERLINE WHEN PILOT NOTICED THE AIRCRAFT ELECTRONIC ALTIMETER HAD POWERED DOWN TO IDLE MODE AND NEEDED TO BE RESET. THIS WAS THE DISTRACTION THAT LEAD TO THE FAILURE TO RELEASE ROTOR BRAKE. THE ENGAGED ROTOR BRAKE CAUSED THE ROTOR SPEED TO DECAY QUICKLY LEADING TO THE ROTOR FLAP CONDITION. ALSO, CONTRIBUTING TO ROTOR FLAP, WAS THE VARYING WIND DIRECTION, WHICH MAY HAVE INCREASED THE AMOUNT OF AIR PASSING THROUGH THE SLOWER ROTOR, ESCALATING THE ROTOR FLAP, ULTIMATELY CAUSING THE ROLLOVER.

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 GAA15CA127Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportConcord, NHThe pilot's inability to maintain directional control during takeoff, which resulted in a roll over. Contributing to the loss of control was the pilot's failure to disengage the main rotor brake prior to takeoff.Jun 20, 2015 · Substantial damage