Accident Fields BABY BELLE N656VK,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 133819
 
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Date:Sunday 31 May 1998
Time:11:45 LT
Type:Fields BABY BELLE
Owner/operator:Stuart G. Fields
Registration: N656VK
MSN: VK01
Total airframe hrs:67 hours
Engine model:Lycoming O-320-D2J
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Inyokern, CA -   United States of America
Phase: Initial climb
Nature:Private
Departure airport:
Destination airport:
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The pilot took off and approximately 40 mph and 60 feet agl, he felt an increasing vibration which he attempted to reduce by raising the collective. He decided to land and as he applied aft cyclic and reduced the collective, the aircraft began yawing to the left and he ran out of right pedal. The aircraft nosed over in an uncontrolled descent and impacted the ground at approximately a 45-degree nose-down attitude and 20-30 degree left roll. The pilot reported that he built the kit helicopter, which has a total time of 67 hours. The kit does not include a low rotor rpm warning system. The pilot holds a private pilot certificate with a single engine land rating and has a helicopter solo endorsement dated August 22, 1997.

Probable Cause: The failure of the pilot to recover from a low rotor rpm condition, which resulted in a loss of aircraft control.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: LAX98LA178
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 2 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB LAX98LA178

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
21-Dec-2016 19:26 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
07-Apr-2024 11:47 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Phase, Source, Narrative, Plane category, Category, Accident report]

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