Ruth HUMMINGBIRD N331PF

Summary

On 1 June 2024 at about 00:40 local time, a Ruth HUMMINGBIRD registered N331PF was involved in an accident near New Hill, North Carolina, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 June 2024 at 00:40

Classification

Accident

Location

New Hill, North Carolina, United States

Coordinates

35.6811, -78.9356

Aircraft

Ruth HUMMINGBIRD

Registration

N331PF

Category

Helicopter

Year built

2021

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Flight Test

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

ERA24LA244

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter while hovering.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

**This report was modified on 4/2/2026. Please see the docket for the original report.** During an evening test flight, the pilot was hovering the experimental amateur-built helicopter just above the ground to track the main rotor blades with light emitting diodes (LEDs) attached to the blade tips to address a main rotor vibration. He stated that he was distracted by the LED lights and lost control of the helicopter and that “there was nothing wrong with the aircraft.” The helicopter came to rest on its side and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage. Although the pilot reported no control issues with the helicopter, both the FAA inspector who examined it and the kit manufacturer reported deficiencies with the pilot’s build that would be expected to adversely affect its handling characteristics. According to the kit manufacturer, these included the installation of nonstandard flight control components (from a different helicopter make and model) and other modifications from the original design. However, the extent to which the pilot’s modifications contributed to the outcome could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.