ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 42471
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| Date: | Friday 19 December 1997 |
| Time: | 15:50 LT |
| Type: | Revolution Mini-500 |
| Owner/operator: | Edward J. Bihn |
| Registration: | N727EB |
| MSN: | 001 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 12 hours |
| Engine model: | Rotax 582 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Gettysburg, OH -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Phillipsburg, OH (3I7) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The homebuilt Mini 500 helicopter was in level flight about 900 to 1200 feet, when the engine sounds stopped. The helicopter's nose dropped, and one main rotor blade struck the tailboom and separated from the rotor head. The helicopter descended and struck the ground 90 degrees nose down. Examination of the non-certificated 2 cycle Rotax engine did not reveal a reason for the power loss. The engine manufacturer published the maximum continuous RPM as 6,500. Other builders reported that when the helicopter's rotor RPM was operated at the top of the green arc, the engine operated about 6,700 RPM. The NTSB database revealed 23 Mini-500 accidents in 1997 and 1998. Twelve of those involved a loss of engine power. The Rotax operator's manual stated, '...This engine by design is subject to sudden stoppage...Never fly the aircraft equipped with this engine at locations, airspeeds, altitudes...from which a successful no-power landing cannot be made...'
Probable Cause: A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons, followed by the main rotor striking the tailboom, which resulted in the separation of a main rotor blade.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB NYC98LA049
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:24 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 08-Apr-2024 11:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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