What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On February 23, 2020, at approximately 18:06 eastern standard time (2308Z), N840GS, a registered experimental single place amateur built rotorcraft ? Spagnolo William D model XE285 impacted terrain at the registered owner?s/pilot?s, non-certificated private use 1980 foot grass runway 28-10, residence and farm property. The impact site was approximately 610 feet south of w. state route 114 and 100 feet from the 28 end of the grass runway. The rotorcrafts heading observed at the site was 45 degrees. The pilot in command a private pilot with an airplane single engine land rating, suffered serious injuries from the crash and died from those injuries the following day. The rotorcraft was substantially damaged from the impact and dynamic rollover. The flight was under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. There were no witnesses to the accident.
Post-accident investigation and interviews of pilot?s family members, rotorcraft kit manufacturers personnel, and certificated flight instructor (CFI); indicated that the pilot had two or three hard landings with this rotorcraft that resulted in damage to skids and associated parts. Those events prompted the pilot to obtain an additional 17.6 hours of dual helicopter flight instruction in an Enstrom 280FX. The interviews also indicated that the pilots flights with the accident rotorcraft were restricted to the area of his properties grass runway and consisted of low level (approximately five feet) taxi and hover flying. The rotorcraft accident site was 622 feet from the hangar location next to the grass runway. Post-accident investigations of the rotorcraft revealed no observable mechanical malfunctions, with rotors, drives, powerplant or their controls. The NTSB removed the rotorcraft engine instruments and electronic monitoring devices for further analysis.
At the time of this report, while both the current and previous owners registered the rotorcraft, there are no available records or conditions (e.g. markings, identification plate) that indicate the rotorcraft ever received an experimental operating amateur-built rotorcraft, airworthiness certificate.
As the FAA filed it
ON FEBRUARY 23, 2020, AT APPROXIMATELY 18:06 EASTERN STANDARD TIME (2308Z), N840GS, A REGISTERED EXPERIMENTAL SINGLE PLACE AMATEUR BUILT ROTORCRAFT ? SPAGNOLO WILLIAM D MODEL XE285 IMPACTED TERRAIN AT THE REGISTERED OWNER?S/PILOT?S, NON-CERTIFICATED PRIVATE USE 1980 FOOT GRASS RUNWAY 28-10, RESIDENCE AND FARM PROPERTY. THE IMPACT SITE WAS APPROXIMATELY 610 FEET SOUTH OF W. STATE ROUTE 114 AND 100 FEET FROM THE 28 END OF THE GRASS RUNWAY. THE ROTORCRAFTS HEADING OBSERVED AT THE SITE WAS 45 DEGREES. THE PILOT IN COMMAND A PRIVATE PILOT WITH AN AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND RATING, SUFFERED SERIOUS INJURIES FROM THE CRASH AND DIED FROM THOSE INJURIES THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE ROTORCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED FROM THE IMPACT AND DYNAMIC ROLLOVER. THE FLIGHT WAS UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THERE WERE NO WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT.
POST-ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION AND INTERVIEWS OF PILOT?S FAMILY MEMBERS, ROTORCRAFT KIT MANUFACTURERS PERSONNEL, AND CERTIFICATED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI); INDICATED THAT THE PILOT HAD TWO OR THREE HARD LANDINGS WITH THIS ROTORCRAFT THAT RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO SKIDS AND ASSOCIATED PARTS. THOSE EVENTS PROMPTED THE PILOT TO OBTAIN AN ADDITIONAL 17.6 HOURS OF DUAL HELICOPTER FLIGHT INSTRUCTION IN AN ENSTROM 280FX. THE INTERVIEWS ALSO INDICATED THAT THE PILOTS FLIGHTS WITH THE ACCIDENT ROTORCRAFT WERE RESTRICTED TO THE AREA OF HIS PROPERTIES GRASS RUNWAY AND CONSISTED OF LOW LEVEL (APPROXIMATELY FIVE FEET) TAXI AND HOVER FLYING. THE ROTORCRAFT ACCIDENT SITE WAS 622 FEET FROM THE HANGAR LOCATION NEXT TO THE GRASS RUNWAY. POST-ACCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS OF THE ROTORCRAFT REVEALED NO OBSERVABLE MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS, WITH ROTORS, DRIVES, POWERPLANT OR THEIR CONTROLS. THE NTSB REMOVED THE ROTORCRAFT ENGINE INSTRUMENTS AND ELECTRONIC MONITORING DEVICES FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS.
AT THE TIME OF THIS REPORT, WHILE BOTH THE CURRENT AND PREVIOUS OWNERS REGISTERED THE ROTORCRAFT, THERE ARE NO AVAILABLE RECORDS OR CONDITIONS (E.G. MARKINGS, IDENTIFICATION PLATE) THAT INDICATE THE ROTORCRAFT EVER RECEIVED AN EXPERIMENTAL OPERATING AMATEUR-BUILT ROTORCRAFT, AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.