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20240129000909I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Helicopteres Guimbal Cabri G2 · Jefferson City, MO · January 29, 2024

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 29, 2024 · 13:15 local
Place
Jefferson City, MO
Airport
Jefferson City Memorial
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N793GH
Reported as
Helicopteres Guimbal Cabri G2
Reported engine
Lycoming O-360-J2A
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
27 total27 in this make and model11 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 on a solo flight, on the downwind for runway 12, the pilot contacted the tower requesting to return to the ramp. The pilot was given clearance to land on the ramp. Once past runway 12 and initiated a turn and made a normal approach to the ramp. He did not want to overfly the aircraft on taxiway alpha just before runway 12, so he adjusted course to fly over the grass before runway 12. He then noticed the approach was slightly high. He made a call to the tower requesting transition back to runway 12 and go around. Tower gave him clearance and he began to taxi back to runway 12. While transitioning to runway 12, the pilot began to experience loss of tail rotor effectiveness, lte, and the aircraft began to spin. The pilot attempted to recover but could not completely stop the spin. He decided it was necessary to perform an emergency landing in the grass before runway 12. Pilot was able to slow the spin of the aircraft and set it down in the grass before runway 12. Once on the ground, he contacted the tower letting them know there were no injuries. Pilot then shut the aircraft down and exited once the main rotor had stopped spinning.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE ON A SOLO FLIGHT, ON THE DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 12, THE PILOT CONTACTED THE TOWER REQUESTING TO RETURN TO THE RAMP. THE PILOT WAS GIVEN CLEARANCE TO LAND ON THE RAMP. ONCE PAST RUNWAY 12 AND INITIATED A TURN AND MADE A NORMAL APPROACH TO THE RAMP. HE DID NOT WANT TO OVERFLY THE AIRCRAFT ON TAXIWAY ALPHA JUST BEFORE RUNWAY 12, SO HE ADJUSTED COURSE TO FLY OVER THE GRASS BEFORE RUNWAY 12. HE THEN NOTICED THE APPROACH WAS SLIGHTLY HIGH. HE MADE A CALL TO THE TOWER REQUESTING TRANSITION BACK TO RUNWAY 12 AND GO AROUND. TOWER GAVE HIM CLEARANCE AND HE BEGAN TO TAXI BACK TO RUNWAY 12. WHILE TRANSITIONING TO RUNWAY 12, THE PILOT BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR EFFECTIVENESS, LTE, AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO SPIN. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RECOVER BUT COULD NOT COMPLETELY STOP THE SPIN. HE DECIDED IT WAS NECESSARY TO PERFORM AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN THE GRASS BEFORE RUNWAY 12. PILOT WAS ABLE TO SLOW THE SPIN OF THE AIRCRAFT AND SET IT DOWN IN THE GRASS BEFORE RUNWAY 12. ONCE ON THE GROUND, HE CONTACTED THE TOWER LETTING THEM KNOW THERE WERE NO INJURIES. PILOT THEN SHUT THE AIRCRAFT DOWN AND EXITED ONCE THE MAIN ROTOR HAD STOPPED SPINNING.