Boykin ROTORWAY EXEC 162F N496SB

Summary

On 25 March 2007 at about 15:55 local time, a Boykin ROTORWAY EXEC 162F registered N496SB was involved in an accident near Camarillo, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 March 2007 at 15:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Camarillo, California, United States

Nearest airport

Camarillo Airport (CMA)

Coordinates

34.2139, -119.0944

Aircraft

Boykin ROTORWAY EXEC 162F

Registration

N496SB

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Camarillo → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA07CA084

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain main rotor RPM resulting in an uncontrolled descent to a hard landing. A contributing factor was his lack of experience in make and model of aircraft.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot said that this was his first solo flight in this make and model helicopter. He said he did weight and balance calculations before performing a preflight inspection of the aircraft. The pilot said that he performed a ground taxi, and hovered for 5 to 10 minutes, with pedal turns, to check the control capability. He flew to an open field and noted a slight drift to the left. He returned to the airport and made a normal approach to the helipad followed by a normal flare. The aircraft then started to drift to the left and would not correct with right cyclic; while trying to correct the left drift with right cyclic, the cyclic became limited by his leg and the confines of the cockpit. During an attempted go around, the pilot said that his airspeed had decreased to zero, and his rotor RPM had dropped. He said the helicopter began to descend and landed hard on the left forward skid. Subsequently the helicopter rolled onto its left side.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.