- Date
- March 25, 1982, 16:45 local (23:45 UTC)
- Place
- Jerome, ID
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N222RPRotorway Scorpion TOO
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 25, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820325005809A
- Case key
- 71196
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 pilot was familiarizing himself with the home built helicopter. After hovering in one general area for about 45 minutes, he decided to hover to an open area by crossing a fence. He stated that he entered translational lift at about 20 knots while hovering forward. At this time, the helicopter began rolling to the left. Full right cyclic failed to correct the roll. The helicopter continued to roll left and struck the ground with the main rotor blade and left skid. For solo flight, the ships battery must be repositioned in the nose, and lead weights must be attached to the right skid for proper weight and balance control. The pilot stated that he had made those alterations prior to flight. An on-site investigation indicated that the battery and lead weights were thrown free of the helicopter. Insufficient data was available to ascertain the aircraft's center-of-gravity at the time of the accident. The flight controls had retained their continuity. The elevation was about 3700 ft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N222RP
- Reported as
- Rotorway Scorpion TOO (SCORPION T)
- Category
- Helicopter, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 2508
- Airframe hours
- 27
- Engine
- Rotorway TRW-133, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Douglas J. Mcfall
- Registered owner
- Douglas J. Mcfall
- Departed
- Half Way Ranch, ID
- Destination
- Half Way Ranch, ID
- Airport
- Half Way Ranch
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
- 25
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 349 total · 5 in this make and model · 227 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.