Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Manassas Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Manassas, Virginia 20108
Sunday, April 16, 2000 13:05 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot/owner/builder of the homebuilt helicopter departed on a local flight. He completed a traffic pattern, and initiated an approach to the ground. During the final segment of the approach, the pilot found the collective control stick difficult to lower, and the movement restricted. The pilot forced the collective to the full-down position, and the helicopter contacted the ground and rolled over. A 25-pound metal barbell plate was found in the foot well on the copilot's side after the accident. The surface of the plate was lightly coated with rust. Examination of the copilot's seat cushion revealed rust colored transfers on the fabric. The seat pan exhibited circular scratches that measured the same radius as the barbell plate. The collective stick was raised, and the barbell plate was placed so that it was superimposed over the scratches. The collective stick was lowered, it contacted the plate, and approximately the bottom 1/3 of the collective stick travel could not be attained. The pilot explained that on the advice of the kit factory, a 25-pound weight could be added to the co-pilot's side to assist the pilot in achieving a more wings-level vertical ascent to a hover. He said: 'A 25-pound weight in the right seat worked fine. I flew with it all the time. It was secured by the seat belt. On the last flight it was not secured. I just put it on the seat because it was so heavy.'
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Was the pilot' use of an unsecured ballast weight in the cockpit that shifted in flight and blocked the collective control movement.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/16/2000 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1305 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | MANASSAS |
| Event State | VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 20108 |
| Event Date Year | 2000 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | MANASSAS |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | HEF |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 196 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1255 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | HEF |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 196 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 16 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 190 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1076 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 691 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA EROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 16 2000 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 813 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 10 2001 4:06AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N162GG |
| NTSB Number | IAD00LA037 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Greenleaf |
| Aircraft Model | EXEC 162F |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | EXEC 162F |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 6250 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1500 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 2 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 8 |
| Airframe Hours | 8 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | GEORGE H. GREENLEAF |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | |
| Aircraft Owner City | GREAT FALLS |
| Aircraft Owner State | VA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 22066 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | HEF |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1345 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 10 2001 4:06AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 34L |
| Runway Length | 3703 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |