What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot provided a pre-sale flight demonstration of the accident aircraft to a potential buyer on 10/12/2024.
The pilot attempted to hover-taxi the aircraft to a ramp on a flatbed truck. While in a hover to position the aircraft, the rotor blades struck an adjacent building privacy data omitted. The rotors contacted the wood fascia and concrete building, resulting in substantial damage to the rotor blades. The helicopter immediately yawed 90 degrees to the right. The pilot then landed the helicopter without further incident. The damaged aircraft was then loaded onto the flatbed truck and transported off airfield to a storage facility.
Upon notiofication from the FAA roc, the FAA iic attempted to contact airport manager without success. The FAA iic was informed the brevard county sheriff's office hangar had cctv video footage of the accident. The FAA iic reviewed the video footage and found the narrative consistent with the evidence. The FAA iic made several attempts to contact the pilot, and eventually made contact on 10/25/2024, and conducted an interview with the pilot and the investigating FAA ops ASI. During the interview, the pilot admitted the aircraft was out of annual and 100 hour inspections, and that he had not flown the aircraft "in quite a while". Additionally, the pilot admitted that he did not have a current medical certificate. The pilot has offered to voluntarily surrender his FAA flight certificates.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT PROVIDED A PRE-SALE FLIGHT DEMONSTRATION OF THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT TO A POTENTIAL BUYER ON 10/12/2024.
THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO HOVER-TAXI THE AIRCRAFT TO A RAMP ON A FLATBED TRUCK. WHILE IN A HOVER TO POSITION THE AIRCRAFT, THE ROTOR BLADES STRUCK AN ADJACENT BUILDING ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE ROTORS CONTACTED THE WOOD FASCIA AND CONCRETE BUILDING, RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE ROTOR BLADES. THE HELICOPTER IMMEDIATELY YAWED 90 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT THEN LANDED THE HELICOPTER WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE DAMAGED AIRCRAFT WAS THEN LOADED ONTO THE FLATBED TRUCK AND TRANSPORTED OFF AIRFIELD TO A STORAGE FACILITY.
UPON NOTIOFICATION FROM THE FAA ROC, THE FAA IIC ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT AIRPORT MANAGER WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE FAA IIC WAS INFORMED THE BREVARD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE HANGAR HAD CCTV VIDEO FOOTAGE OF THE ACCIDENT. THE FAA IIC REVIEWED THE VIDEO FOOTAGE AND FOUND THE NARRATIVE CONSISTENT WITH THE EVIDENCE. THE FAA IIC MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT THE PILOT, AND EVENTUALLY MADE CONTACT ON 10/25/2024, AND CONDUCTED AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT AND THE INVESTIGATING FAA OPS ASI. DURING THE INTERVIEW, THE PILOT ADMITTED THE AIRCRAFT WAS OUT OF ANNUAL AND 100 HOUR INSPECTIONS, AND THAT HE HAD NOT FLOWN THE AIRCRAFT "IN QUITE A WHILE". ADDITIONALLY, THE PILOT ADMITTED THAT HE DID NOT HAVE A CURRENT MEDICAL CERTIFICATE. THE PILOT HAS OFFERED TO VOLUNTARILY SURRENDER HIS FAA FLIGHT CERTIFICATES.