- Date
- September 21, 2017, 18:45 local (22:45 UTC)
- Place
- Fayetteville, NC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N186KWGodwin Jeff E Safari
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 23, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 96092
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 student pilot’s failure to maintain lateral control during a hover pedal turn.
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 solo student pilot reported that the purpose of his flight was to practice hover taxi. During a right pedal turn, about 3 to 5 ft above the ground, the helicopter rolled onto its side. Postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed substantial damage to the tailboom. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The solo student pilot reported that the purpose of his flight was to practice hover taxi. During a peddle turn to the right, about 3 to 5 ft above the ground, the helicopter rolled onto its side. A postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed substantial damage to the tail boom. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N186KW
- Reported as
- Godwin Jeff E Safari
- Category
- Helicopter, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 2176
- Built
- 2009
- Airframe hours
- 132.9
- Engine
- reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · February 1, 2017
- Departed
- FAY · Fayetteville, NC
- Destination
- FAY · Fayetteville, NC
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- FAY · Fayetteville Rgnl/Grannis Fiel
- 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
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 2, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,300 total · 35 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KFAY
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 13, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 912 KB in all.