CORONA, CA, USA
N10TE
HILLBERG EH-101
THE PILOT/AIRCRAFT DESIGNER WAS HOVERING AN EXPERIMENTAL HELICOPTER ABOUT 15 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND WHILE IT WAS BEING PHOTOGRAPHED BY ANOTHER HELICOPTER. THE PILOT TURNED THE TAIL OF HIS AIRCRAFT INTO THE WIND AND IT BEGAN TO SETTLE IN ITS OWN ROTORWASH. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE DESCENT AND THE HELICOPTER TOUCHED DOWN IN SOFT TERRAIN AND THEN ROLLED OVER. THE HELICOPTER HAD ACCUMULATED 5.6 HOURS OF TEST-FLIGHT TIME AND THE PERFORMANCE LIMITATIONS OF THE AIRCRAFT HAD NOT BEEN ESTABLISHED.
On May 21, 1994, about 1630 hours Pacific daylight time, an experimental Hillberg EH-101 homebuilt helicopter, N10TE, crashed while maneuvering at the Corona Municiple Airport, Corona, California. The helicopter was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local flight when the accident occurred. The helicopter, operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The certificated commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at Corona about 1615 hours. The pilot reported that he was flying at 15 knots airspeed while being filmed by another helicopter. The pilot slowed the aircraft and turned the tail into the prevailing wind. The helicopter began to settle to the ground from about a 15 foot hover and the landing gear touched down in soft terrain. The right front portion of the landing gear skid dug into the ground and the helicopter rolled over onto its right side. The helicopter received damage to the main rotor blades, landing gear skids, and tail boom. The helicopter had accumulated 8.5 hours of operation on the ground and 5.6 hours of flight time. The pilot's total time in the aircraft is also 5.6 hours.
the pilot's loss of control of the helicopter while hovering downwind. A lack of test-flight data to establish the aircraft's performance limitations was a factor in the accident.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
Aviation Accidents App
In-Depth Access to Aviation Accident Reports
