- Date
- January 16, 2016, 20:30 local (Jan 17, 2016, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Zephyrhills, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N9669Tucker Mitchel C H 13
- Defining event
- Standing-engine(s) operating: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 14, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA- TPA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20160116000949A
- Case key
- 92682
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 aircraft control while on ground standing with the engine running during high crosswind conditions which resulted in a static rollover and collision with the ground.
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 pilot of the experimental helicopter was returning from a local flight and landed near his hanger to drop off his passenger. After his passenger disembarked, the pilot was preparing to take off and reposition the helicopter to another spot, but before he added power for liftoff, a strong gust of wind struck the left side of the helicopter, thrusting the cyclic control out of his hand and hard over to the right. This caused the helicopter to lift up and roll onto its right side, causing substantial damage to the blades, engine mount, fuselage and tail boom. The pilot stated, it happened very quickly and there was no chance to recover. Post-accident examination of the helicopter did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions which would have precluded normal operation. The wind at the time of the accident was from 240 degrees at 13 knots gusting to 17.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the experimental helicopter was returning from a local flight and landed near his hanger to drop off his passenger. After his passenger disembarked, the pilot was preparing to take off and reposition the helicopter to another spot, but before he added power for liftoff, a strong gust of wind struck the left side of the helicopter, thrusting the cyclic control out of his hand and hard over to the right. This caused the helicopter to lift up and roll onto its right side, causing substantial damage to the blades, engine mount, fuselage and tail boom. The pilot stated, it happened very quickly and there was no chance to recover. Post-accident examination of the helicopter did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions which would have precluded normal operation. The wind at the time of the accident were from 240 degrees at 13 knots gusting to 17.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9669
- Reported as
- Tucker Mitchel C H 13 (D)
- Category
- Helicopter, amateur-built
- Serial number
- T-3
- Built
- 2005
- Engine
- Ama/Expr UNKNOWN ENG, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Great Cloud Design Incorporated
- Registered owner
- Great Cloud Design Incorporated
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 3, 2015 · 258 hours before
- Departed
- ZPH · Zephyrhills, FL
- Destination
- ZPH · Zephyrhills, FL
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- ZPH · Zephyrhills Muni
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 78
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 7, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 10,250 total · 500 in this make and model · 7,000 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 13 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.85 inHg
- Observed at
- ZPH, 1 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 25, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.9 MB 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.