- Date
- June 8, 2006, 10:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Porter, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N17VHCampbell W/Smiley J Execytive 162F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 3, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Houston FSDO
- FAA report
- 20060608010389A
- Case key
- 63865
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's loss of control after encountering dynamic rollover while hovering.
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 38-hour student helicopter pilot stated he intended to practice hovering maneuvers over a grass apron adjacent to a taxiway at the airport. The pilot reported that while in the process of changing directions, while hovering at a skid height of 18 inches off the ground, the left landing gear skid came in contact with the ground and he was unable to stop or correct the rollover. The main rotor blades of the experimental single-engine helicopter were destroyed when the helicopter came to rest on its right side. The pilot, who held a private certificate in airplanes single-engine land, reported he had accumulated a total of 1,986 hours. In a narrative statement submitted by the pilot he added that "the accident was due solely to pilot error and did not involve any other aircraft, person, vehicles, or property."
Factual narrative
The 38-hour helicopter student pilot stated he intended to practice hovering maneuvers over a grass apron adjacent to a taxiway at the airport. The pilot reported that while in the process of changing directions, while hovering at a skid height of 18 inches off the ground, the left landing gear skid came in contact with the ground and he was unable to stop or correct the rollover. The main rotor blades of the experimental single-engine helicopter were destroyed when the helicopter came to rest on its right side. The pilot, who held a private certificate in airplanes single-engine land, reported he had accumulated a total of 1,986 hours. In a narrative statement submitted by the pilot he added that "the accident was due solely to pilot error and did not involve any other aircraft, person, vehicles, or property."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N17VH
- Reported as
- Campbell W/Smiley J Execytive 162F
- Category
- Helicopter, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 6684
- Airframe hours
- 285
- Engine
- Rotorway RI 162F, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Clint Alexander
- Registered owner
- Clint Akexander
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 2005 · 28.3 hours before
- Departed
- 9X1 · Porter, TX
- Destination
- 9X1 · Porter, TX
- Airport
- 9X1 · Williams 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 67
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Private, Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Last flight review
- September 1, 2004
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,986 total · 29 in this make and model · 1,908 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- IAH
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.