- Date
- August 30, 1998, 16:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hattiesburg, MS
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9GHHall Revolution Mini 500
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 6, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980830032099A
- Case key
- 43894
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The failure of the pilot to maintain main rotor rpm during a forward hover and the cyclic grip separating during the resultant bounced landing resulting in the pilot losing cyclic control and the main rotor contacting the tail boom. A factor in the accident was the pilot's lack of total time in the make and model.
Analysis
The pilot stated that as he hovered forward at a brisk walk, he heard the low rotor rpm horn. He lowered the collective and the helicopter descended rapidly and touched down on the 'toes' of the skids. The helicopter bounced back into the air and the cyclic control grip separated from the cyclic control stick. The cyclic control moved to the full aft position and the main rotor blades contacted the tail boom.
Factual narrative
On August 30, 1998, about 1500 central daylight time, a Hall Revolution Mini 500 homebuilt helicopter, N9GH, registered to an individual, landed hard at Hattiesburg, Mississippi, while on a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The airline transport-rated pilot was not injured and the helicopter received substantial damage. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
The pilot stated that as he hovered forward at a brisk walk, he heard the low rotor rpm horn and reduced the collective control. The helicopter descended rapidly and touched down on the "toes" of the skids. The helicopter bounced back into the air and the cyclic control grip separated from the cyclic control stick. The cyclic control stick moved to the full aft position and the main rotor blades contacted the tail boom.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9GH
- Reported as
- Hall Revolution Mini 500 (REVOLUTION)
- Category
- Helicopter, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 288
- Airframe hours
- 99
- Engine
- Bombardier 582, 67 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Frederick M. Jones
- Registered owner
- George D. Hall
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- HBG
- Airport
- HGB · Bobby L. Chain Munc.
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
- 40
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 6,400 total · 1 in this make and model · 100 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 79 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GPT, 50 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.