- Date
- March 17, 2011, 14:20 local (18:20 UTC)
- Place
- Petersburg, WV
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N555FPRobinson R44
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 18, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110317004509A
- Case key
- 78593
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 failure to maintain control during the takeoff.
Findings · 2
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 pilot of the helicopter stated that he was preparing to lift off into a hover and then depart from the airport. As he raised the collective, the helicopter became light on the skids, and rolled to the right and then to the left. The main rotor blades struck the ground, and the helicopter sustained substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer and tail boom. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the helicopter. He further reported 315 hours of total flight experience, which included 51 hours in helicopters, all in the same make and model as the accident helicopter.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the helicopter stated that he was preparing to lift off into a hover position in order to depart the airport. As he raised the collective, the helicopter became light on the skids, and rolled to the right and then to the left. The main rotor blades struck the ground, and the helicopter sustained substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer and tail boom. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the helicopter. He further reported 315 hours of total flight experience, which included 51 hours in helicopters, all in the same make and model as the accident helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N555FP
- Reported as
- Robinson R44
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1012
- Airframe hours
- 2,166
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Kevin C Rychlik
- Registered owner
- Kevin C Rychlik
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- HEF · Manassas, VA
- Destination
- W99 · Petersburg, WV
- Airport
- W99 · Grant County 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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 20, 2010
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 315 total · 51 in this make and model · 181 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.25 inHg
- Observed at
- EKN, 33 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 29, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 915 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.