Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Carey Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Mayland, Tennessee 38555
Thursday, December 13, 2012 15:30 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot was hover-taxiing an experimental amateur-built helicopter about 3 feet above ground level when the engine suddenly accelerated, and the helicopter started to gyrate violently. An engine power increase such as this is indicative of a high-side governor failure, which requires immediate reaction to maintain control of the helicopter. The pilot attempted to maintain control of the helicopter, but it began to drift to the left where his truck and trailer where parked. To avoid a collision with the truck, the pilot raised the collective to climb over the truck. Once clear of the truck, the pilot lowered the collective and landed on a downward slope. The helicopter impacted the ground with the right skid and rolled over on its left side, which resulted in the main rotor blades striking the ground.
The pilot, who was also the owner/operator, had installed an aftermarket governor and had logged a total of 0.5 hour in the helicopter before the accident. The governor was examined and appeared to have been installed correctly. It could not be determined why the governor failed. The pilot had attended transition training for this helicopter, but it did not cover governor failures.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s failure to maintain helicopter control following a high-side governor failure for reasons that could not be determined during postaccident examination.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/13/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1530 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Mayland |
| Event State | TENNESSEE |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 38555 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 360420N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0850650W |
| Event Location Airport | Carey Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | TN56 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 1960 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1553 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 170 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CSV |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1881 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 7 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 11 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -11 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.28 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KCSV 132153Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 11/M11 A3 |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| 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) | 31369 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Nashville FSDO |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 18 2013 9:18PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N828X |
| NTSB Number | ERA13LA087 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | ROTORWAY |
| Aircraft Model | DB-1 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1320 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | 2 |
| 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 | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 1 2012 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 0 |
| Airframe Hours | 408 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | BARNETT DOUGLAS E |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | MONTEREY |
| Aircraft Owner State | TN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 38574-7289 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | BARNETT DOUGLAS E |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | MONTEREY |
| Operator State | TN |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 38574-7289 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | TN56 |
| Departure City | Mayland |
| Departure State | TN |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1530 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | TN56 |
| Destination City | Mayland |
| Destination State | TN |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 5 2013 2:17PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |