20240705010539A

At approximately 8:01 am CDT on 7/05/2024, a single engine rotorway scorpion 133 amateur-built helicopter crashed into a small wooded area on the southwest boundary of Andale, KS. The aircraft was destroyed due to in-flight breakup and was consumed by a post-crash fire. The one soul was on board was fatally injured. An airworthiness iic from the wichita FSDO conducted an on-site investigation on 7/05/2024 at about 9:15 am CDT. The primary accident scene consisted of the aircraft fuselage at rest on its left side in a wooded area between a residential pond to the east and soybean field to the west. The aircraft was oriented towards the northeast with the fuselage, engine assembly, belt-driven gear drives, main rotor mast, main rotor hub, main rotor blades and tail transition section in place and damaged due to impact. Both underslung main rotor blades were swept down at the blade cuffs as viewed from the top of the main rotor mast to the landing gear skids. Both tail boom tubular frames sustained rotational impacts in close proximity to the tail rotor drive pulley, consistent with a main rotor blade strike. The aircraft composite structure, upholstery and cosmetic material were consumed by the post-crash fire. The debris field encompassed an approximate 145-foot radius around the impact site and consisted of objects and components that departed the aircraft prior to impact. The debris field included multiple fragments of the plexiglass windshield, the horizontal stabilizer, the tail rotor assembly, sections of the tail rotor control and tail rotor drive belts, motor oil dipstick, one 25 lb. Gym plate, one 20-pound dumbbell, and one 0.25X14 X14 inch solid steel plate that was driven into the ground approximately 50 feet north of the impact site. The separated tail rotor assembly and yaw control pulley were located about 93 feet west of the main wreckage. The two main rotor blades were identified as the “s” and “w” blades during examination, and it was noted that the “s” blade sustained a 3/8-inch gouge to the steel leading edge approximately midspan between the blade root and blade tip. The “s” blade damage was consistent with impact signatures found on the steel plate found north of the impact site. Observations indicate the steel plate departed the aircraft and struck the “s” blade prior to the aircraft impacting terrain. The only known eyewitness of the accident verbally stated that as he was driving, he “heard a loud bang” and observed helicopter debris as it separated in the air and descended to the ground. A review of the only available aircraft records indicated there were no records identified for either phase I flight test completion or a condition inspection having been completed in the preceding 12 months. The pilot’s next of kin verbally indicated that the pilot would often conduct maintenance and “practice” flights on the subject aircraft in preparation for a check ride. However, the pilot only held a private pilot “airplane single engine land” certificate and did not hold any helicopter ratings. There are no known or recorded maintenance discrepancies on the aircraft nor there is no evidence that the pilot was appropriately certificated or endorsed for the subject aircraft type at the time of accident.