20180502004449A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Michael R Alexander MOSQUITO XE · Iron Station, NC · May 2, 2018

Date: May 2, 2018 · 10:30 local
Place: Iron Station, NC
Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N725JC
NTSB investigation: NTSBGAA18CA250
Reported as: Michael R Alexander Mosquito XE
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 3 total1 in this make and model3 in the last 90 days

N725JCRegistration cancelled May 4, 2019 · Michael R Alexander MOSQUITO XES/N MXE 1123110B Airframe modelMichael R Alexander MOSQUITO XE

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.

Rotorcraft operator was oerating aircraft as an ultralight-subject rotorcraft does not meet ultralight compliance. Operator had 3.1 total hours of instruction in R22 & R44 on April 28 & 29, 2018 and no other FAA issued certifications. Operator was attempting to hover aircraft in his domicile front yard, multiple trees power lines and uneven/sloped land. Spun t/r into tree branch, lost control and hard landed, with main rotor blade strikes to the ground. Rotorcraft landed on LH side and caught fire. Fuselage destroyed by post impact fire. Tailboom composite fractures present at post impact inspection.

As the FAA filed it

ROTORCRAFT OPERATOR WAS OERATING AIRCRAFT AS AN ULTRALIGHT-SUBJECT ROTORCRAFT DOES NOT MEET ULTRALIGHT COMPLIANCE. OPERATOR HAD 3.1 TOTAL HOURS OF INSTRUCTION IN R22 & R44 ON APRIL 28 & 29, 2018 AND NO OTHER FAA ISSUED CERTIFICATIONS. OPERATOR WAS ATTEMPTING TO HOVER AIRCRAFT IN HIS DOMICILE FRONT YARD, MULTIPLE TREES POWER LINES AND UNEVEN/SLOPED LAND. SPUN T/R INTO TREE BRANCH, LOST CONTROL AND HARD LANDED, WITH MAIN ROTOR BLADE STRIKES TO THE GROUND. ROTORCRAFT LANDED ON LH SIDE AND CAUGHT FIRE. FUSELAGE DESTROYED BY POST IMPACT FIRE. TAILBOOM COMPOSITE FRACTURES PRESENT AT POST IMPACT INSPECTION.

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 GAA18CA250Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportIron Station, NCThe noncertificated pilot’s decision to practice hovering the helicopter in a confined space, which resulted in the tail rotor striking a tree.May 2, 2018 · Destroyed