20240905011529A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Aircraft · Madison, AL · September 5, 2024

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal NTSB investigation search

Date: September 5, 2024 · 13:52 local
Place: Madison, AL
Airport: Madison
Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: NONE
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1 total

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.

Registration: FA3CTCHKYN

Aircraft reached 300 ft., (30 seconds into flight) it returned "aircraft vibration abnormal". At this point the pilot stopped all control input. The error cleared, but then pilot lost all input control. The image displayed showed the aircraft banking hard left beyond the limits of the camera gimbal and at about 70 degrees. Pilot immediately initiated the return to home protocols with no effect.

As the FAA filed it

REGISTRATION: FA3CTCHKYN

AIRCRAFT REACHED 300 FT., (30 SECONDS INTO FLIGHT) IT RETURNED "AIRCRAFT VIBRATION ABNORMAL". AT THIS POINT THE PILOT STOPPED ALL CONTROL INPUT. THE ERROR CLEARED, BUT THEN PILOT LOST ALL INPUT CONTROL. THE IMAGE DISPLAYED SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT BANKING HARD LEFT BEYOND THE LIMITS OF THE CAMERA GIMBAL AND AT ABOUT 70 DEGREES. PILOT IMMEDIATELY INITIATED THE RETURN TO HOME PROTOCOLS WITH NO EFFECT.