- Date
- August 26, 2000, 09:06 local (16:06 UTC)
- Place
- Gridley, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7SZPerrucci Randall J Revolution MINI-500
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 1, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000826011089A
- Case key
- 50126
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 fracture and separation of a control rod in the cyclic flight control system.
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
While maneuvering at 700 feet agl, the pilot of the amateur-built helicopter felt something "break" and the fore-and-aft portion of the cyclic flight control system became inoperative (disconnected). He lowered the collective control, reduced engine power, and made a run-on landing in an open field. During the landing the toe of one skid "dug in" and the helicopter came to rest on its side. Postaccident examination revealed that a push-pull tube in the cyclic control system fractured circumferentially in the wall at one end near where a through-bolt attached the rod end fitting to the tube.
Factual narrative
On August 26, 2000, at 0906 hours Pacific daylight time, a Perrucci Revolution Mini-500 experimental helicopter, N7SZ, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Gridley, California. The student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local area personal flight, which departed from the owner's property in Gridley about 0840. The amateur built helicopter was operated by the owner under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot reported that, while making a turn at 700 feet agl, he felt something break and the fore-and-aft portion of the cyclic flight control system became inoperative (disconnected). He lowered the collective control, reduced engine power, and made a run-on landing in an open field. During the landing the toe of one skid "dug in" and the helicopter came to rest on its side.
Postaccident examination revealed that a push-pull tube in the cyclic control system fractured circumferentially in the wall at one end near where a through-bolt attached the rod end fitting to the tube. The assembly was Revolution Helicopters part number 0165.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7SZ
- Reported as
- Perrucci Randall J Revolution MINI-500 (REVOLUTION)
- Category
- Helicopter, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 0098
- Airframe hours
- 928
- Engine
- Rotax 582, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Randall J. Perrucci
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · August 22, 2000 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- CA
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
- 38
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 131 total · 87 in this make and model · 97 as pilot in command · 34 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 162 °F, dew point 118 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- OVE, 8 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.