- Date
- March 28, 2025, 17:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Chuluota, FL · Private property
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N8318ARotorway Exec
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Dynamic rollover
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20250328002289A
- Case key
- 199943
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 lateral control of the helicopter during takeoff, which resulted in a dynamic rollover.
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 non-certificated pilot of the helicopter reported that the purpose of the flight was to practice takeoff, hover, and landing maneuvers from his private grass field. During takeoff, he increased the engine power and inadvertently applied right cyclic concurrently as he raised the collective. Subsequently, the helicopter’s right skid dug into the ground, resulting in a dynamic rollover. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to its main rotor blades and tail boom structure. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8318A
- Reported as
- Rotorway Exec (162F)
- Category
- Helicopter, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 6955
- Built
- 2011
- Airframe hours
- 211
- Engine
- Rotorway RI 162F, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 2, 2025 · 5 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- pvt · pvt
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- None
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 52.5 total · 5.5 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 18 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.22 inHg
- Observed at
- SFB, 12 nm away
- METAR
- KSFB 282053Z 14018KT 10SM BKN050 24/13 A3022 RMK AO2 PK WND 14026/2043 SLP232 T02440128 58020
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 21, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.7 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.