- Date
- October 17, 1992, 13:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Wynne, AR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N437FVVuncannon Rotorway R162
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 14, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921017042369A
- Case key
- 18601
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
Lift degradation on one main rotor blade surface due to a foreign object.
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 experimental helicopter was departing from an open field when a plastic sack blew into the main rotor system. The pilot said the sack hung on a blade causing it to lose lift. He lost control of the helicopter and a main rotor blade struck the ground followed by the aircraft. No mechanical malfunction was reported by the pilot.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N437FV
- Reported as
- Vuncannon Rotorway R162
- Category
- Helicopter, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1214
- Airframe hours
- 70
- Engine
- Rotorway RI162, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Vuncannon, Floyd L.
- Registered owner
- Vuncannon, Floyd L.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 2, 2000 · 70 hours before
- Departed
- Jonesboro, AR
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
- 49
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 900 total · 420 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- JBR, 34 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.