Summary
On September 11, 2007, a Rogerson Hiller Corp. RH-1100 (N6014U) was involved in an accident near Stanwood, WA. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury, with 2 people uninjured out of 3 aboard. The aircraft was destroyed.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's failure to execute a go-around and his failure to reduce his groundspeed to zero prior to touching down on the rough/uneven terrain. Factors include the momentary restriction of a flight control, rough/uneven terrain, and a tailwind.
While en route to his planned destination, the pilot noticed that one of two latches on the right side cabin door had come loose. He therefore elected to land in a grassy area alongside the runway of a nearby airstrip. While turning from base to final, the cyclic was momentarily restricted by being caught on the shorts of the passenger. Although the movement of the cyclic was only momentarily restricted, it resulted in the pilot delaying his transition to a slower airspeed and a reduced rate of descent prior to establishing a pre-landing hover. Instead of executing a go-around, the pilot decided to continue his transition, but he was unable to enter a hover prior to touching down with a slight forward movement on the rough uneven terrain.
This accident is documented in NTSB report SEA07CA256. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N6014U.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to execute a go-around and his failure to reduce his groundspeed to zero prior to touching down on the rough/uneven terrain. Factors include the momentary restriction of a flight control, rough/uneven terrain, and a tailwind.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
While en route to his planned destination, the pilot noticed that one of two latches on the right side cabin door had come loose. He therefore elected to land in a grassy area alongside the runway of a nearby airstrip. While turning from base to final, the cyclic was momentarily restricted by being caught on the shorts of the passenger. Although the movement of the cyclic was only momentarily restricted, it resulted in the pilot delaying his transition to a slower airspeed and a reduced rate of descent prior to establishing a pre-landing hover. Instead of executing a go-around, the pilot decided to continue his transition, but he was unable to enter a hover prior to touching down with a slight forward movement on the rough uneven terrain. When the helicopter touched down, the left skid became stuck in a rut, and that, along with a slight tailwind and the residual forward movement of the helicopter, resulted in a dynamic rollover. In his written statement, the pilot said, "Making a go-around would have been the best way to prevent this accident."
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# SEA07CA256