- Date
- August 4, 1990, 13:04 local (18:04 UTC)
- Place
- Southwick, MA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- UNREGRotorway RW 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 36511
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
A hard landing due to improper use of the rotorcraft flight controls, and the decision to put fuel in only one side.
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.
Hard landing
Refueling - improperFactor
Rotorcraft flight controls - improper use ofCause
Roll over
Landing gear,skid assembly - overloadCause
Analysis
The pilot was practicing hover flight and landed to refuel. He put fuel in only one side and then took off again. He felt a lateral imbalance and made a hard landing setting the helicopter back down. The right skid collapsed and the helicopter rolled over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- Rotorway RW 152
- Category
- Helicopter, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 41820
- Airframe hours
- 21
- Engine
- Rotorway RW 152, 152 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Leonard T. Forish
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 70
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,962 total · 7 in this make and model · 1,721 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point -0 °F