N125AC – Leza Lockwood Air Cam – 2010-02-10 NTSB Accident Report

On February 10, 2010, a Leza Lockwood Air Cam (N125AC) was involved in an incident near Everett, WA. 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's inadvertent encounter with the rotor downwash from a hovering heavy-lift helicopter.

The pilot taxied the ultralight airplane west between two rows of hangars up to the boundary of the non-movement area before stopping to contact ground control. At this time an Army Chinook helicopter made an approach to runway 34R before entering a hover over the runway in front of the pilot at an altitude estimated to be from 75 to 100 feet above ground level. As the helicopter descended to about 20 to 30 feet above ground level, the rotor wash from the helicopter picked the airplane up off the ground and blew it backwards and to the right. The airplane subsequently dropped to the ground on its right wingtip, coming to rest upright about 25 to 30 feet from where it was originally positioned.

This incident is documented in NTSB report WPR10CA132. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N125AC.