- Date
- August 13, 1992, 17:00 local (Aug 14, 1992, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Kirkland, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N7014NJohn S. Holzemer Rotorway Exec
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920813038579A
- Case key
- 42880
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
Cyclic control movement was restricted. A factor to the accident was: directional control was not possible.
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
During a pleasure flight, the pilot reported that just after lift off from a dock, approximately 50 feet above water level and 200 yards from the departure point, the cyclic control became very stiff and almost impossible to move. The pilot attempted to return to the dock, however, approximately 50 yards from the landing area, the helicopter began to spin about its vertical axis. Due to the restricted landing area and people along the shore, the pilot ditched the helicopter in the lake. Due to impact damage, the control mechanism was not inspected. The pilot felt that the dacron bushing in the slider ball mechanism may have either swelled or tightened causing undue pressure in the hub assembly.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7014N
- Reported as
- John S. Holzemer Rotorway Exec (ROTORWAY E)
- Category
- Helicopter, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 3035
- Airframe hours
- 50
- Engine
- Rotorway RW 152, 152 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Holzemer, John S.
- Registered owner
- Holzemer, John S.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 8, 1992 · 1 hours before
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
- 50
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,540 total · 25 in this make and model · 175 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.