Seattle Aerotech HELIPOWER 2500 N13RM

Summary

On 27 June 2002 at about 22:45 local time, a Seattle Aerotech HELIPOWER 2500 registered N13RM was involved in an accident near Arlington, Washington, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

27 June 2002 at 22:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Arlington, Washington, United States

Nearest airport

Arlington Muni (AWO)

Coordinates

48.1608, -122.1589

Aircraft

Seattle Aerotech HELIPOWER 2500

Registration

N13RM

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Flight Test

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Arlington → Arlington

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA02LA115

Nobody was injured.

Aircraft control not maintained during a run-on landing. A vibration of unknown origin was a factor in the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that on the accident flight, he initially performed a hover and 360-degree pedal turn without problems. He stated that he then entered forward flight at 10 MPH, and then transitioned back to a hover at 3 feet above ground level (AGL), again without problems. He reported that he then turned around and entered forward flight in the opposite direction at 6 feet AGL and 20 MPH, again without problems. He stated that he then turned around again and entered forward flight at 30 MPH. He reported that as he decelerated from 30 MPH back toward a hover, the helicopter experienced a violent vibration of sufficient severity that he felt an immediate run-on landing was necessary. During the run-on landing, the helicopter nosed down, the forward blade struck the ground and the aft blade severed the helicopter's tail boom. The pilot reported that he then saw a flash in the helicopter's engine compartment in his peripheral vision, and thus decided to egress the helicopter immediately. After the pilot egressed, the helicopter's fuel tank caught fire and the helicopter burned. Post accident examination of the helicopter by personnel from the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration disclosed no evidence as to the cause of the vibration or its origin.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.