Pilot Debrief

D & K AVIATION BABY BELLE near Spartanburg, SC — 2017-07-19

Final reportERA17LA256
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Date
2017-07-19
Location
Spartanburg, SC, USA
Airport
SPA
Aircraft
D & K AVIATION BABY BELLE
Registration
N211CJ
Category
Helicopter
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain helicopter control during the approach to landing.

NTSB narrative

The private pilot of the experimental, amateur-built helicopter reported that he returned to the airfield after a local flight and was preparing to land. While flying about 4 ft above ground level at an indicated airspeed between 16 and 24 mph, he felt a shudder, and the helicopter yawed to the right. He straightened the helicopter with antitorque pedal inputs and did not recall hearing any engine noise, although the doors were removed. The next thing that he recalled was lying on the ground, with the helicopter leaking fuel. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the helicopter's main rotor blades were bent and the tailboom was severed. Postaccident examination of the helicopter, which included an engine run, did not reveal any evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Although the pilot reported 46 total hours of helicopter flight experience, all in the make and model of the accident helicopter, he did not possess a rotorcraft rating at the time of the accident.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Human factors
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted landing after feeling the shudder.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 6 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents6

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