Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

The pilot was making his second attempt to land his home-built, experimental helicopter when during the descent the aircraft did not enter a flare and impacted onto the ramp. The pilot sustained minor injuries and the helicopter was substantially damaged. The pilot said, "I flared at approximately 3 to 4 feet, felt contact with something and the rotor system sounded strange, but the ship pitched forward and to the right. The ship contacted the ground still in this forward right attitude."

A representative from the company that made the helicopter kit was witness to the accident. The witness said that he had flown the helicopter the day before and on the morning of the accident flight. The witness said that this was the owner/builder/pilot's first flight in the helicopter. He said that the start up was normal and that everything looked good up to the time the pilot lifted off into a hover. The witness said he could see the pilot over-controlling the helicopter. The witness said that during the pilot's second landing attempt, the pilot began about 75 feet above the ground. "The pilot started down at a steep angle at approximately 15 miles per hour. The helicopter came straight down." The witness said "the pilot did not pull back on the collective. The helicopter hit the ground flat, made a 90-degree turn and stopped." The witness said that when he had flown the helicopter earlier that day, everything worked just fine. The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control resulting in the helicopter impacting onto the airport ramp. A contributing factor to the accident was the pilot's failure to establish the landing flare in time.