DEN02FA070

The pilot reported that he was doing hover testing of his helicopter. He said the tower cleared him to aerial taxi from a hangar on the east side of the field to the compass rose. The pilot said to get to the compass rose, he determined he would have to fly west toward a building on the airport and then turn south to fly behind the building (the west side of the building), and stay between the building and taxiway A, the north-south parallel taxiway to the runway. The pilot said that as he passed behind the building, "I think I experienced a tailwind. The helicopter began losing power and lift. I set up to do a skidding landing. The helicopter skidded and tipped forward, caught the rotor on the ground." The pilot said, "I experienced settling with power and did not have enough altitude to fly out of it." The wind conditions reported 15 minutes after the accident were 360 degrees at 11 knots. An examination of the helicopter revealed no preimpact anomalies.

History of flight

On July 8, 2002, at 1938 mountain daylight time, a Boone Rotorway 162-F, N30319, amateur-built helicopter, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during aerial taxi at Centennial Airport (APA), Englewood, Colorado. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal test flight was being conducted under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot was not injured. The local flight originated at 1936.

The pilot reported that he was doing hover testing of his helicopter. He said the APA Air Traffic Control Tower had cleared him to aerial taxi from Hanger 25 to the compass rose. The pilot said to get to the compass rose, he determined he would have to fly west toward the Signature Aviation building and then turn south to fly behind the building (the west side of the building), and stay between the building and taxiway A, the north-south parallel taxiway to runway 35. The pilot said that as he passed behind the building, "I think I experienced a tailwind. The helicopter began losing power and lift. I set up to do a skidding landing. The helicopter skidded and tipped forward, caught the rotor on the ground."

In his written statement, the pilot added that he was flying at about 15 feet above the ground with a forward speed of 20 miles per hour. The pilot said that when he was south of the Signature Aviation building, he experienced significant tail winds and down drafts coming off of the hangar. The pilot said, "I experienced settling with power and did not have enough altitude to fly out of it."

Personnel information

The pilot held a private pilot certificate with single-engine land and helicopter ratings. The pilot reported having 465.2 total flying hours, and 63.6 hours in helicopters.

The pilot completed a flight review on November 11, 2001, in a Rotorway 162F helicopter.

The pilot held a second class medical certificate dated December 27, 2000, with limitations stating the holder shall possess glasses.

Aircraft information

The Federal Aviation Administration had certified the amateur-built helicopter for its 40-hour test flight period on June 23, 2002. The pilot reported that the helicopter had 2.5 hours total time.

Meteorological information

At 1953, the Aviation Routine Weather Report for APA was few clouds at 9,000 feet, broken ceilings of 14,000 and 22,000 feet, visibility 10 statute miles, temperature 82 degrees Fahrenheit (F), Dew Point 53 degrees F, winds 360 degrees at 11 knots, and an altimeter setting of 30.29 inches of Mercury.

Wreckage and impact information

The NTSB on-scene investigation began at 2030.

The helicopter wreckage was located on the south side of the airport approximately 150 feet west of a north-south segment of Peoria Street, the road proceeding from the south entrance of the airport.

The helicopter's main wreckage was resting in a field on its left side with the cabin oriented on a 180-degree magnetic heading. The helicopter's tail boom rested approximately 6 feet southeast of the cabin section. The tail boom was crushed inward from the top of the boom downward and severed 26 inches aft of the powerplant compartment. The tail rotor control cable was torn outward and unraveled. The core of the cable was wrapped around the tail boom and tail rotor gear box. The tail rotor gear box was broken out and resting just aft of the tail boom. One of the two tail rotor blades remained attached to the tail rotor hub and gear box. The other tail rotor blade was broken at the base and preceded the helicopter main wreckage resting 6 feet north of the engine compartment. The helicopter's horizontal stabilizer and vertical fin were bent aft and broken.

Several scrapes in the ground were observed preceding the helicopter main wreckage. One scrape was 8 feet long and 2 inches deep and described a wide arc. This scrape was located 5 feet northwest of the main wreckage. A second scrape was located 15 feet north-northwest of the helicopter main wreckage. It was 12 feet long and approximately 3 inches deep, and also described a wide arc.

Pieces of the Plexiglas bubble comprising the windscreen were broken out and resting forward of the helicopter's cabin section. The helicopter's cabin and engine compartment were intact. The smell of fuel was prevalent in the area around the fuselage. The bottoms of the front tips of both skids showed aft-running scrapes and scratches.

The lead main rotor blade (the blade extending over the cabin) was bent downward 20 degrees and twisted aft and downward beginning 26 inches outboard of the rotor head. The tip of the lead blade was torn open. Smears of dirt and chordwise scratches were observed along the entire span of the blade's leading edge.

The trailing main rotor blade (the blade extending aft) was bent downward and twisted counter-clockwise beginning at the rotor head and extending outward along the span of the blade. The trailing edge of the blade was bent and wrinkled.

Flight control continuity was confirmed. An examination of the engine and other helicopter systems revealed no anomalies.

Additional information

A party to the investigation was the FAA, Flight Standards District Office, Denver, Colorado.

The wreckage was released to the helicopter's owner.