Versteeg HELICYCLE N234RV
5 August 2013 · Richland, Washington, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 5 August 2013 at about 18:00 local time, a Versteeg HELICYCLE registered N234RV was involved in an accident near Richland, Washington, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 18:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Richland, Washington, United States
- Nearest airport
- Richland (RLD)
- Coordinates
- 46.3033, -119.3025
- Aircraft
- Versteeg HELICYCLE
- Registration
- N234RV
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 2012
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Richland → Richland
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR13LA360
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain helicycle control during hover due to an inadvertent control input.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that, while in a hover about 10 feet above the ground, the helicycle began to spin right and that he was unable to stop the rotation. Subsequently, the helicycle struck a hangar with its tail and rolled over on its left side. The pilot reported that his right ankle was wrapped in a brace due to a recent injury and that, because of this brace, he inadvertently input pressure on the right rudder control input, which caused the helicycle to rotate right. The ankle brace prevented him from noticing the right rudder control input in a timely manner. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicycle that would have precluded normal operation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Feb 2013 | Piper PA-28-140 | Sunnyside, Washington, United States | John Gilman | Minor injuries | - |
| 13 Feb 2013 | Beechcraft B19 | Ephrata, Washington, United States | Big Bend Community College | No injuries | - |
| 28 Jul 2013 | Piper PA-18-135 | Quilcene, Washington, United States | Ryder Jerry | Serious injuries | - |
| 28 Jul 2013 | Cessna 162 | Tacoma, Washington, United States | DD Corporation | No injuries | - |
| 19 Feb 2013 | Cessna 152 | Kelso, Washington, United States | Hillsboro Aviation Inc | No injuries | - |
| 2 May 2013 | Robinson R44 II | Pomeroy, Washington, United States | Leading Edge Aviation | No injuries | - |