What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 02/16/2025 a UH-1D struck it's tail and tail rotor during a repositioning flight at Deland municipal airport (ded). The FAA was notified of the accident via a FAA hotline report on 9/4/2025. While attempting to relocate the accident aircraft from one section of the airport to the western ramp, the pilot encountered a heavy vertical vibration. The vibration was initially induced due to high wind gusts at the airport which were measured at approximately 30 KTS. Additional collective "bounce" was induced by the pilots lack of expereince with the aircraft and his inability to maintain the correct collective position. The pilot forced the aircraft to the ground which cause the tail rotor to strike the concrete ramp. The tail rotor separated from the aircraft due to contact with the ramp surface. The accident pilot did not hold a FAA issued rotorcraft certificate to operated the accident aircraft. The aircraft holds an experimental - exhibition airworthiness certificate. Line five (5) of the operating limitations of the airworthiness certificate specificall require the opertor to hold a valid FAA rotorcraft certificate.
As the FAA filed it
ON 02/16/2025 A UH-1D STRUCK IT'S TAIL AND TAIL ROTOR DURING A REPOSITIONING FLIGHT AT DELAND MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (DED). THE FAA WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ACCIDENT VIA A FAA HOTLINE REPORT ON 9/4/2025. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RELOCATE THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT FROM ONE SECTION OF THE AIRPORT TO THE WESTERN RAMP, THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED A HEAVY VERTICAL VIBRATION. THE VIBRATION WAS INITIALLY INDUCED DUE TO HIGH WIND GUSTS AT THE AIRPORT WHICH WERE MEASURED AT APPROXIMATELY 30 KTS. ADDITIONAL COLLECTIVE "BOUNCE" WAS INDUCED BY THE PILOTS LACK OF EXPEREINCE WITH THE AIRCRAFT AND HIS INABILITY TO MAINTAIN THE CORRECT COLLECTIVE POSITION. THE PILOT FORCED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE GROUND WHICH CAUSE THE TAIL ROTOR TO STRIKE THE CONCRETE RAMP. THE TAIL ROTOR SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT DUE TO CONTACT WITH THE RAMP SURFACE. THE ACCIDENT PILOT DID NOT HOLD A FAA ISSUED ROTORCRAFT CERTIFICATE TO OPERATED THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT HOLDS AN EXPERIMENTAL - EXHIBITION AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE. LINE FIVE (5) OF THE OPERATING LIMITATIONS OF THE AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE SPECIFICALL REQUIRE THE OPERTOR TO HOLD A VALID FAA ROTORCRAFT CERTIFICATE.
Other reports on N849DB · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.