What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The airman was conducting currency flight under 14 CFR part 91 in a newly purchased helicopter. The airman maneuvered the helicopter for take-off with the intent to conduct a left traffic pattern. As the aircraft accelerated through translational lift, the aircraft rolled to the left and nose tuck down. The pilot lost control of the helicopter resulting in a low speed impact with trees and terrain.
At the accident site, the aircraft debris was predominantly concentrated in one area, with the exception of a main rotor blade, which had detached from the aircraft and was located approximately 15 to 20 feet north of the main wreckage. Continuity checks were conducted on the cyclic, collective, and throttle systems, and the hydraulic system was thoroughly inspected. The main rotor and tail rotor drive trains exhibited 100% free rotation, with no evidence of binding, grinding, or resistance.
The broken cyclic and collective flight controls were collected, secured, and sent to the national transportation safety board (NTSB) for detailed analysis. Examination of the fracture features indicated they were consistent with an overstress fracture, with no evidence of crack propagation that would suggest a pre-impact fatigue failure.
If further information is collected that needs to be added to the 8020-23, it may be ammended at that time.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRMAN WAS CONDUCTING CURRENCY FLIGHT UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 IN A NEWLY PURCHASED HELICOPTER. THE AIRMAN MANEUVERED THE HELICOPTER FOR TAKE-OFF WITH THE INTENT TO CONDUCT A LEFT TRAFFIC PATTERN. AS THE AIRCRAFT ACCELERATED THROUGH TRANSLATIONAL LIFT, THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED TO THE LEFT AND NOSE TUCK DOWN. THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER RESULTING IN A LOW SPEED IMPACT WITH TREES AND TERRAIN.
AT THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE AIRCRAFT DEBRIS WAS PREDOMINANTLY CONCENTRATED IN ONE AREA, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A MAIN ROTOR BLADE, WHICH HAD DETACHED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 15 TO 20 FEET NORTH OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE. CONTINUITY CHECKS WERE CONDUCTED ON THE CYCLIC, COLLECTIVE, AND THROTTLE SYSTEMS, AND THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM WAS THOROUGHLY INSPECTED. THE MAIN ROTOR AND TAIL ROTOR DRIVE TRAINS EXHIBITED 100% FREE ROTATION, WITH NO EVIDENCE OF BINDING, GRINDING, OR RESISTANCE.
THE BROKEN CYCLIC AND COLLECTIVE FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE COLLECTED, SECURED, AND SENT TO THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD (NTSB) FOR DETAILED ANALYSIS. EXAMINATION OF THE FRACTURE FEATURES INDICATED THEY WERE CONSISTENT WITH AN OVERSTRESS FRACTURE, WITH NO EVIDENCE OF CRACK PROPAGATION THAT WOULD SUGGEST A PRE-IMPACT FATIGUE FAILURE.
IF FURTHER INFORMATION IS COLLECTED THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDED TO THE 8020-23, IT MAY BE AMMENDED AT THAT TIME.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N65520 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.