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20190924015869A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · George W Felix MOSQUITO XE · Kershaw, SC · September 24, 2019

FAA Aviation Safety Information PortalNTSB investigation search

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Date
September 24, 2019 · 12:00 local
Place
Kershaw, SC
Phase of flight
Hover/Holding
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N849GF
Reported as
George W Felix Mosquito XE
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
44 total4 in the last 90 days
N849GFRegistered now · George W Felix MOSQUITO XES/N MXE1339J18B · Built 2019Airframe modelGeorge W Felix MOSQUITO XEEngine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

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.

The solo pilot is a student pilot with training in the R22 and R44 rotorcraft. This rotorcraft is a single seat, the pilot elected to solo himself un-supervised. He stated the following:

Normal start up and rotor run up procedures were followed. The collective was raised for a two stage pickup. When the helicopter was light on the skids, some right yaw was detected and corrected. When raising the collective further to initiate ascent, the helicopter left the ground and darted forward and left. Pilot attempted to correct that movement and apparently over controlled the rotorcraft. The rotorcraft started swinging back and forth (the pendulum effect). Pilot never had control of the rotorcraft after its skids left the ground. The helicopter was airborne for less than 10 seconds. It never reached an altitude greater than 5 feet AGL. It hit the ground left (port) skid low and the main rotor blade hit the ground on the left (port) side of the helicopter.

As the FAA filed it

THE SOLO PILOT IS A STUDENT PILOT WITH TRAINING IN THE R22 AND R44 ROTORCRAFT. THIS ROTORCRAFT IS A SINGLE SEAT, THE PILOT ELECTED TO SOLO HIMSELF UN-SUPERVISED. HE STATED THE FOLLOWING:

NORMAL START UP AND ROTOR RUN UP PROCEDURES WERE FOLLOWED. THE COLLECTIVE WAS RAISED FOR A TWO STAGE PICKUP. WHEN THE HELICOPTER WAS LIGHT ON THE SKIDS, SOME RIGHT YAW WAS DETECTED AND CORRECTED. WHEN RAISING THE COLLECTIVE FURTHER TO INITIATE ASCENT, THE HELICOPTER LEFT THE GROUND AND DARTED FORWARD AND LEFT. PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT THAT MOVEMENT AND APPARENTLY OVER CONTROLLED THE ROTORCRAFT. THE ROTORCRAFT STARTED SWINGING BACK AND FORTH (THE PENDULUM EFFECT). PILOT NEVER HAD CONTROL OF THE ROTORCRAFT AFTER ITS SKIDS LEFT THE GROUND. THE HELICOPTER WAS AIRBORNE FOR LESS THAN 10 SECONDS. IT NEVER REACHED AN ALTITUDE GREATER THAN 5 FEET AGL. IT HIT THE GROUND LEFT (PORT) SKID LOW AND THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE HIT THE GROUND ON THE LEFT (PORT) SIDE OF THE HELICOPTER.