What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 22 January 2021 at around 1630 zulu 0930 MST N90TG, a 1990 Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter, model 369E serial number 383E, was on approach to Rittenhouse Army Heliport (A38), which approximately 10 miles south of falcon field (ffz) in mesa, Arizona. The pilot stated he completed a few approaches at the Army heliport practice area and traveled a couple miles south east to set up for a practice approach to an off airport location. Pilot stated all was normal and as he increased in collective and added to come into a hover, he stated the rotorcraft nosed right. Pilot tried to arrest it motion with left pedal input but was unable to recover. Rotorcraft spun right and left skid caught the ground and bent inward as the rotorcraft rolled onto its left side. No injuries reported and 1 person on board. Substantial damage to the rotorcraft. Speaking with an operations safety inspector through an assist, it was determined that the pilot lacked the ability to remember the governor transition of the turbine powered rotorcraft engine to the main drive. It is believed that improper management of the throttle by the pilot resulted in the governor inability to automatically takeover for the power input resulting in a less than normal needed power input physically by the pilot result in a loss of tail rotor effectiveness causing the yaw moment into the rotorcraft rolling over. Pilot had only 0.8 hours in systems training for this make/model and no prior experience in turbine power rotorcraft except for 1 hour of training. The flight was for personal use to build time. The pilot received counseling refer to activity WP07202101570 for counseling details.
As the FAA filed it
ON 22 JANUARY 2021 AT AROUND 1630 ZULU 0930 MST N90TG, A 1990 MCDONNELL DOUGLAS HELICOPTER, MODEL 369E SERIAL NUMBER 383E, WAS ON APPROACH TO RITTENHOUSE ARMY HELIPORT (A38), WHICH APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES SOUTH OF FALCON FIELD (FFZ) IN MESA, ARIZONA. THE PILOT STATED HE COMPLETED A FEW APPROACHES AT THE ARMY HELIPORT PRACTICE AREA AND TRAVELED A COUPLE MILES SOUTH EAST TO SET UP FOR A PRACTICE APPROACH TO AN OFF AIRPORT LOCATION. PILOT STATED ALL WAS NORMAL AND AS HE INCREASED IN COLLECTIVE AND ADDED TO COME INTO A HOVER, HE STATED THE ROTORCRAFT NOSED RIGHT. PILOT TRIED TO ARREST IT MOTION WITH LEFT PEDAL INPUT BUT WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER. ROTORCRAFT SPUN RIGHT AND LEFT SKID CAUGHT THE GROUND AND BENT INWARD AS THE ROTORCRAFT ROLLED ONTO ITS LEFT SIDE. NO INJURIES REPORTED AND 1 PERSON ON BOARD. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE ROTORCRAFT. SPEAKING WITH AN OPERATIONS SAFETY INSPECTOR THROUGH AN ASSIST, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE PILOT LACKED THE ABILITY TO REMEMBER THE GOVERNOR TRANSITION OF THE TURBINE POWERED ROTORCRAFT ENGINE TO THE MAIN DRIVE. IT IS BELIEVED THAT IMPROPER MANAGEMENT OF THE THROTTLE BY THE PILOT RESULTED IN THE GOVERNOR INABILITY TO AUTOMATICALLY TAKEOVER FOR THE POWER INPUT RESULTING IN A LESS THAN NORMAL NEEDED POWER INPUT PHYSICALLY BY THE PILOT RESULT IN A LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR EFFECTIVENESS CAUSING THE YAW MOMENT INTO THE ROTORCRAFT ROLLING OVER. PILOT HAD ONLY 0.8 HOURS IN SYSTEMS TRAINING FOR THIS MAKE/MODEL AND NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE IN TURBINE POWER ROTORCRAFT EXCEPT FOR 1 HOUR OF TRAINING. THE FLIGHT WAS FOR PERSONAL USE TO BUILD TIME. THE PILOT RECEIVED COUNSELING REFER TO ACTIVITY WP07202101570 FOR COUNSELING DETAILS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.