- Date
- May 10, 2009, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Brookeland, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N602DBBolton Ricky D Rotorway E
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 3, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration, FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090510009539A
- Case key
- 73816
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot failed to maintain control while hovering in gusty conditions.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The private pilot reported that while hovering prior to takeoff from his private property, a gust of wind blew the experimental helicopter sideways. The right skid caught the ground and the pilot then pulled on the collective, "a little too hard." The helicopter tail rotor then hit a tractor and the left skid hit the ground. The helicopter rolled coming to rest on its left side. The pilot was not injured. The winds at a local airport 15 miles to the north were reported to be from 170 degrees at 12 knots gusting to 17 knots.
Factual narrative
The private pilot reported that while hovering prior to takeoff from his private property, a gust of wind blew the experimental helicopter sideways. The right skid caught the ground and the pilot then pulled on the collective, "a little too hard." The helicopter tail rotor then hit a tractor and the left skid hit the ground. The helicopter rolled coming to rest on its left side. The pilot was not injured. The winds at a local airport 15 miles to the north were reported to be from 170 degrees at 12 knots gusting to 17 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N602DB
- Reported as
- Bolton Ricky D Rotorway E
- Category
- Helicopter, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 6299
- Engine
- Ama/Expr RI 600N, 147 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- Brookeland, TX
- Destination
- Brookeland, TX
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- Private Property
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 300 total · 27 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 12 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- KJAS
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 2, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 17 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.