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Small aircraft helicopter tail rotor struck the ground when cyclic disconnected as aircraft was in a hover.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 131666 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198912 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : f67 |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 12 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Helicopter |
| Flight Phase | other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 8 flight time total : 2100 flight time type : 8 |
| ASRS Report | 131665 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 1100 flight time type : 3 |
| ASRS Report | 131666 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : insufficient time |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Mechanical failure/accident: cycle became disconnected while hovering into wind. Aircraft pitched up and back and struck tail rotor before safety pilot had chance to recover attitude. I arrived at aircraft and prepared it for a flight. Helicopter had just been delivered new from factory (1.2 hours earlier hobbs) and came with dual controls installed. Along with my safety pilot, I started aircraft seated in the left-hand position. We intended to do some basic maneuvers to prepare me for my CFI chkride the next day. I picked aircraft up and hover taxied across runway to factory helipad and then proceeded to taxi out onto the grassy field to the west. I pointed aircraft nose into the wind and was intending to make a landing when cyclic stick pulled out of floor. The aircraft assumed an immediate nose high erratic attitude as I yelled, 'take it' to the safety pilot. At this time, the tail rotor struck the end. First officer leveled aircraft and we bounced on ground, then stopped. Shut aircraft down and locked it to preserve evidence due to nature of malfunction.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMA HELICOPTER TAIL ROTOR STRUCK THE GND WHEN CYCLIC DISCONNECTED AS ACFT WAS IN A HOVER.
Narrative: MECHANICAL FAILURE/ACCIDENT: CYCLE BECAME DISCONNECTED WHILE HOVERING INTO WIND. ACFT PITCHED UP AND BACK AND STRUCK TAIL ROTOR BEFORE SAFETY PLT HAD CHANCE TO RECOVER ATTITUDE. I ARRIVED AT ACFT AND PREPARED IT FOR A FLT. HELI HAD JUST BEEN DELIVERED NEW FROM FACTORY (1.2 HRS EARLIER HOBBS) AND CAME WITH DUAL CONTROLS INSTALLED. ALONG WITH MY SAFETY PLT, I STARTED ACFT SEATED IN THE LEFT-HAND POS. WE INTENDED TO DO SOME BASIC MANEUVERS TO PREPARE ME FOR MY CFI CHKRIDE THE NEXT DAY. I PICKED ACFT UP AND HOVER TAXIED ACROSS RWY TO FACTORY HELIPAD AND THEN PROCEEDED TO TAXI OUT ONTO THE GRASSY FIELD TO THE W. I POINTED ACFT NOSE INTO THE WIND AND WAS INTENDING TO MAKE A LNDG WHEN CYCLIC STICK PULLED OUT OF FLOOR. THE ACFT ASSUMED AN IMMEDIATE NOSE HIGH ERRATIC ATTITUDE AS I YELLED, 'TAKE IT' TO THE SAFETY PLT. AT THIS TIME, THE TAIL ROTOR STRUCK THE END. F/O LEVELED ACFT AND WE BOUNCED ON GND, THEN STOPPED. SHUT ACFT DOWN AND LOCKED IT TO PRESERVE EVIDENCE DUE TO NATURE OF MALFUNCTION.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.