# Accident 20190924015869A: George W Felix MOSQUITO XE, Kershaw, SC, September 24, 2019

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 24, 2019, 12:00 local time
- Place: Kershaw, SC
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.5433° N, 80.5872° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Kershaw, SC, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.5433&lon=-80.5872&mi=10
- Aircraft: N849GF, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N849GF) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: George W Felix MOSQUITO XE (registry code 05638PW, https://openairdocs.org/model/george-w-felix-mosquito-xe) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG (registry code 99999, https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: GEORGE W FELIX MOSQUITO XE
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Student
- Pilot flight hours: 44 total, 4 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190924015869A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## NTSB investigation

None matched to this report by aircraft and date. Search the NTSB's own records: https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/basic-search

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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