- Date
- July 11, 2003, 18:45 UTC
- Place
- Creve Coeur, MO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N444TSpiker Rotorway 162F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 2, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA-St. Louis FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030711015139A
- Case key
- 57472
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
Probable cause
The inadvertent dynamic rollover of the helicopter after the helicopter became airborne during an engine run-up.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The helicopter rolled over onto its left side during an engine run-up. The student pilot reported the helicopter became airborne during the run-up. He attempted to recover from the inadvertent lift-off by lowering the collective to the full down position, but the helicopter was already rolling to the left. The student pilot remarked, "It is this pilot's opinion that the aircraft experienced a dynamic roll over condition." He reported he did not intend to become airborne.
Factual narrative
On July 11, 2003, at 1845 central daylight time, an amateur-built Spiker Rotorway 162F helicopter, N444T, sustained minor damage when it rolled over on its left side during an engine run-up at Creve Coeur Airport, St. Louis, Missouri. The pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed during the engine run-up.
The student pilot reported he was performing an engine run-up to check the engine and drive train. The pilot stated, "After run-up with collective throttle at about 100% the aircraft became airborne." The pilot reported he "immediately" lowered the collective to the full down position, but the helicopter was already beginning a roll to the left. The helicopter rotated onto its left side and came to a stop. The pilot remarked, "It is this pilot's opinion that the aircraft experienced a dynamic roll over condition." The pilot reported he did not intend to become airborne.
The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or defects prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N444T
- Reported as
- Spiker Rotorway 162F
- Category
- Helicopter, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 6138
- Airframe hours
- 129
- Engine
- Rotorway 162F, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 26, 2003 · 0 hours before
- Departed
- IH0 · Creve Coeur, MO
- Destination
- 1H0 · Creve Coeur, MO
- Airport
- 1H0 · Creve Coeur Airport
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 84 total · 15 in this make and model · 13 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- STL, 7 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.