What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 17, 2024, at approximately 1043 eastern standard time an exec 162F, an experimental rotorcraft, crashed at moorehead airpark (PN40), North East, PA. The 14 c.f.r. part 91 flight was conducted by a certificated private pilot with a denied medical. The aircraft departed moorehead airpark for a part 91 recreational flight around the airfield. At 1043 EST, on his third go around at the airpark, hovering at approximately 10 ft off the ground the pilot stated he experienced a dynamic rollover losing control of the aircraft and impacting the ground. There were no passengers on-board, or ground bystanders at the crash site. The pilot sustained only minor injuries. A post accident inpection of the aircraft found the following:
• Tail boom crinkled across the length with more significant crinkling towards fuselage
• Comm antenna fin intact with internal element bent in a forward direction at the base and a right direction towards the tip
• One rotor blade bent at 90 degrees at the root wrapped around fuselage tail boom
• Second rotor blade bent approximately 5-10 degrees in an upward direction at the root with twisting of the outboard half of the blade leading edge down trailing edge up
• Right landing skid sheared off at forward cross tube, detatched at aft cross tube attachement point
• Windsheild broken with majority of damage to the right side
• Main rotor blade grip metal laminations separating
• Large puncture on the right side of the aircraft fuselage just below refuel point with grass and dirt around the edges
• Right tail boom horizontal stabilizer bent beyond 100 degrees in a downward direction midway on horizontal section with dirt and grass wedged into the bend
• No apparent damage to tail rotor blade
Upon review of documentation the aircraft registration was found to be up to date. The pilot could not provide a special airworthiness certificate and operating limitations. He was under the assumption one was not required for experimental aircraft and that the aircraft he was operating was in the light sport category. The gross take-off weight for an exec 162F according to manufacutuers specifications is 1500LBS. The only certificate held by the pilot was a private pilot airplane single engine land. The logbooks showed that the last conditional inspection was completed on 6/23/2023.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 17, 2024, AT APPROXIMATELY 1043 EASTERN STANDARD TIME AN EXEC 162F, AN EXPERIMENTAL ROTORCRAFT, CRASHED AT MOOREHEAD AIRPARK (PN40), NORTH EAST, PA. THE 14 C.F.R. PART 91 FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED BY A CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT WITH A DENIED MEDICAL. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED MOOREHEAD AIRPARK FOR A PART 91 RECREATIONAL FLIGHT AROUND THE AIRFIELD. AT 1043 EST, ON HIS THIRD GO AROUND AT THE AIRPARK, HOVERING AT APPROXIMATELY 10 FT OFF THE GROUND THE PILOT STATED HE EXPERIENCED A DYNAMIC ROLLOVER LOSING CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND IMPACTING THE GROUND. THERE WERE NO PASSENGERS ON-BOARD, OR GROUND BYSTANDERS AT THE CRASH SITE. THE PILOT SUSTAINED ONLY MINOR INJURIES. A POST ACCIDENT INPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT FOUND THE FOLLOWING:
• TAIL BOOM CRINKLED ACROSS THE LENGTH WITH MORE SIGNIFICANT CRINKLING TOWARDS FUSELAGE
• COMM ANTENNA FIN INTACT WITH INTERNAL ELEMENT BENT IN A FORWARD DIRECTION AT THE BASE AND A RIGHT DIRECTION TOWARDS THE TIP
• ONE ROTOR BLADE BENT AT 90 DEGREES AT THE ROOT WRAPPED AROUND FUSELAGE TAIL BOOM
• SECOND ROTOR BLADE BENT APPROXIMATELY 5-10 DEGREES IN AN UPWARD DIRECTION AT THE ROOT WITH TWISTING OF THE OUTBOARD HALF OF THE BLADE LEADING EDGE DOWN TRAILING EDGE UP
• RIGHT LANDING SKID SHEARED OFF AT FORWARD CROSS TUBE, DETATCHED AT AFT CROSS TUBE ATTACHEMENT POINT
• WINDSHEILD BROKEN WITH MAJORITY OF DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT SIDE
• MAIN ROTOR BLADE GRIP METAL LAMINATIONS SEPARATING
• LARGE PUNCTURE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE JUST BELOW REFUEL POINT WITH GRASS AND DIRT AROUND THE EDGES
• RIGHT TAIL BOOM HORIZONTAL STABILIZER BENT BEYOND 100 DEGREES IN A DOWNWARD DIRECTION MIDWAY ON HORIZONTAL SECTION WITH DIRT AND GRASS WEDGED INTO THE BEND
• NO APPARENT DAMAGE TO TAIL ROTOR BLADE
UPON REVIEW OF DOCUMENTATION THE AIRCRAFT REGISTRATION WAS FOUND TO BE UP TO DATE. THE PILOT COULD NOT PROVIDE A SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE AND OPERATING LIMITATIONS. HE WAS UNDER THE ASSUMPTION ONE WAS NOT REQUIRED FOR EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT AND THAT THE AIRCRAFT HE WAS OPERATING WAS IN THE LIGHT SPORT CATEGORY. THE GROSS TAKE-OFF WEIGHT FOR AN EXEC 162F ACCORDING TO MANUFACUTUERS SPECIFICATIONS IS 1500LBS. THE ONLY CERTIFICATE HELD BY THE PILOT WAS A PRIVATE PILOT AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND. THE LOGBOOKS SHOWED THAT THE LAST CONDITIONAL INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED ON 6/23/2023.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.