N31788 – Frederick Sweet ROTORWAY EXEC – 1999-04-08 NTSB Accident Report

On April 08, 1999, a Frederick Sweet ROTORWAY EXEC (N31788) was involved in an incident near Fort Myers, FL. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot-in-command's failure to maintain aircraft control after the ground tie chain separated during engine run and hovering operations.

On April 8, 1999, about 1515 eastern daylight time, a Frederick Sweet Rotorway Exec, N31788, registered to an individual, collided with a tree while hovering at Fort Myers, Florida, while on a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The helicopter received substantial damage and the private-rated pilot was not injured. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.

The pilot stated he had chained the helicopter to the ground with a 2-foot-long chain. He only planned to hover the helicopter. He started the helicopter's engine and lifted the helicopter into a hover. The chain broke, the helicopter rolled to the side, and the main rotor contacted a palm tree.

This incident is documented in NTSB report MIA99LA121. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N31788.