20201202019799I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Agustawestland Philadelphia AW119MKII · Philadelphia, PA · December 2, 2020

Date
December 2, 2020 · 14:30 local
Place
Philadelphia, PA
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N669SS
Reported as
Agustawestland Philadelphia AW119MKII
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6B-37A
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
4,677 total944 in this make and model16 in the last 90 days

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.

While lifting off to a hover the experimental research and development helicopter began uncommanded pitch oscillations. The PIC immediately set the helicopter down firmly damaging the stinger and aft left skid.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE LIFTING OFF TO A HOVER THE EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT HELICOPTER BEGAN UNCOMMANDED PITCH OSCILLATIONS. THE PIC IMMEDIATELY SET THE HELICOPTER DOWN FIRMLY DAMAGING THE STINGER AND AFT LEFT SKID.