- Date
- December 28, 1994, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Cornish Flat, NH
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N65562Wyman Scorpion II
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 14, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19941228048329A
- Case key
- 38840
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
Partial failure and subsequent partial separation of skin on the underside of one main rotor blade, which resulted in a severe vibration, in-flight loss of aircraft control, and impact with the ground during an attempted autorotation.
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 kit built helicopter was on final approach, when the pilot experienced a 'severe' vibration. He entered an autorotation; however, the helicopter rotated 180 degrees, and struck the ground traveling backwards. The lower surface of one main rotor blade had separated from the tip to within 30 inches of the hub. The aluminum blades had a total flight time of 51 hours and had been constructed by the kit builder.
Factual narrative
On December 28, 1994, at 1400 eastern standard time, a homebuilt, experimental, Scorpion II, helicopter, N65662, was destroyed during a forced landing, at Cronish Flat, New Hampshire. The student pilot, Curtis Wyman, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the flight which operated under 14 CFR Part 91.
The helicopter was on approach to a landing in an open field, when a vibration, which the pilot described as severe, developed. The pilot attempted to make an autorotation; however, he was unable to maintain directional control of the helicopter. It rotated 180 degrees, and struck the ground while traveling backwards.
Examination of the helicopter revealed that the lower blade surface had separated, from the tip to within 30 inches of the hub. The aluminum blades were constructed by the owner as part of the kit. They had 50.9 hours on them since being built.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N65562
- Reported as
- Wyman Scorpion II (SCORPION I)
- Category
- Helicopter, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 110749
- Engine
- Rotorway RW-152G, 152 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Curtis Wyman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- NONE
- Destination
- NONE
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 36 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.