Monday, September 25, 2017

Mosquito XE 285, N926KB: Accident occurred September 25, 2017 in Odessa, Hillsborough County, Florida

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Tampa, Florida

Aviation Accident Preliminary Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

http://registry.faa.gov/N926KB

NTSB Identification: ERA17LA335
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, September 25, 2017 in Odessa, FL
Aircraft: BRAD J BATES MOSQUITO XE 285, registration: N926KB
Injuries: 1 Minor.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On September 25, 2017, about 1740 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built, Mosquito XE 285 helicopter, N926KB, was substantially damaged when it impacted a residence in Odessa, Florida, during an autorotation. The private pilot sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to the pilot, he had departed from his residence in Odessa, Florida about 1645 for a local flight. He flew around the local area at an altitude of 800 to 1,000 ft above mean sea level, for about 45 minutes. During this time, there was no indication of any type of mechanical problem with the helicopter or engine. The pilot was returning to where he had departed from, and the helicopter was in a slow descent, when he noticed a substantial loss of engine and rotor rpm. He then tried to increase power with no response, so he immediately entered an autorotation and started looking for a place to land. He aimed for an open area, but "fell short" and the helicopter impacted the roof of a residence.

Examination of the accident site and wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the helicopter struck the back side of the roof perpendicular to the roof's peak. It came to rest on its left side with the cockpit on the forward side of the roof's peak, and the tailboom (still attached, but bent) on the back side of the roof's peak. The left landing gear skid had penetrated the roof into the attic and two other holes were also present in the roof, which corresponded to the location of the tips of both main rotor blades.

Both main rotor blades remained attached to the rotor head, and the tail rotor remained attached to the tail boom. The drivetrain and flight controls were intact; however, there was no indication of main rotor rotation at impact either on the main rotor blades or the roof surface.

According to FAA airman records and pilot records, the pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for helicopters. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on January 28, 2016. He reported that he had accrued 79.8 total hours of flight experience, 18.1 of which was in the accident helicopter make and model.

According to FAA airworthiness and helicopter maintenance records, the helicopter's special airworthiness certificate was issued on April 20, 2017. Its most recent condition inspection was completed on that same date. At the time of the accident, the helicopter and engine had accrued about 20 total hours of operation.

The wreckage was retained for further examination.



ODESSA, Fla. -- A pilot is in stable condition after his helicopter crashed into a home Monday afternoon.

The home-made helicopter crashed through the roof of 9450 Roberts Rd. at about 5:30 p.m., the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said. The home is located near Lake Gibson., west of Gunn Highway and north of North Mobley Road.

The pilot, Bradley John Bates, 51, of Lake Grove Drive in Odessa, was the only person in the helicopter. No one was home at the time of the crash.

Bates was conscious and alert following the crash, Hillsborough County Fire Rescue said.

"At this time, county fire has cut power to the residence, and code enforcement will determine the damage to the structure," the sheriff's office said in a statement. "The helicopter will remain in place until such time as NTSB makes the decision to remove it and NTSB and FAA conduct their investigation."

The crash happened just over two miles from Bates' home.

Story and video ➤  http://www.wtsp.com



ODESSA — A small manned helicopter crashed into the roof of a house in northwest Hillsborough County on Monday, injuring a pilot, officials said.

The crash happened about 5:30 p.m. at 9450 Roberts Road.

The pilot, Bradley John Bates, 51, of 10207 Lake Grove Drive, called 911 after the crash, Hillsborough Fire Rescue officials said. He was the only person onboard.

"The pilot was then brought out of the aircraft, put on a backboard and taken to a local area hospital as a trauma alert," said Hillsborough Fire Rescue spokesman Corey Dierdorff. "There was significant damage done to the roof of this home. Thankfully no one was home."

Bates had injuries that authorities described as life threatening. He was taken to the emergency room at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa.

No one was in the house at the time of the crash. A dog inside, Nala, was uninjured.

Photos from the scene depict the small rotorcraft, its windows cracked, resting on its side in the middle of a depression in the roof. Fire Rescue officials said the helicopter bore the word "Experimental" on the side. It was unclear exactly what type of rotorcraft it was.

Fire Rescue officials said they had contacted the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate the crash.

The house sits a few yards behind another home off the rural street near Keystone Lake in northwest Hillsborough.

Tim Peterson, who lives in the adjacent house, said he and his wife, Laurie, were in their kitchen about to eat dinner when they heard a whirring noise.

"I heard a propeller sound and then a sudden boom," Peterson said. "I looked at my wife and said, 'Honey, what was that?'"

Through a window, Peterson could see a helicopter blade hanging off the roof of the neighboring house. He called 911.

Another neighbor, a nurse who happened to be walking a dog at the time, managed to scale the house and tend to the man, Peterson said. From the ground, he could hear him moaning.

Peterson didn't recognize the man. But he said it isn't unusual for people to fly small helicopters and other aircraft in the area.

Original article can be found here ➤ http://www.tampabay.com



ODESSA (FOX 13) - A small helicopter crash-landed on the roof of an Odessa home Monday afternoon, leaving the injured pilot to pull himself from the wreckage.

The scene is along Roberts Road, which is just north of Lake Rogers Park.  A witness told FOX 13 that the helicopter appears to be a kit-built craft and may have suffered engine failure, causing the rough landing.

The pilot is alert but injured. He was the only one aboard. 
  
Deputies say a dog was the only occupant of the house at the time of the crash. The animal was not hurt.

Crews remain on the scene.

Story and video ➤  http://www.fox13news.com

ODESSA, Fla. (WFLA) – Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office deputies are on scene of a helicopter crash Monday afternoon.

The helicopter crashed into a roof of a home located at 9450 Roberts Road, where it remains.

One person was injured and was taken to the hospital as a trauma alert.

There was no one inside the home, besides a dog who was uninjured.

Story and video ➤ http://wfla.com

ODESSA --  A small, experimental helicopter crash Monday in Odessa remains under investigation. 

Local and federal aviation officials will try to determine what caused the helicopter to crash into the roof of a home in northwest Hillsborough County Monday afternoon at 5:30 p.m. 

The pilot of the helicopter, 51-year-old Bradley John Bates, called 911 after the crash. He was rushed to an area hospital as a trauma alert but in unknown condition, according to Hillsborough County Fire Rescue.

The small aircraft struck the back side of the home's roof, causing some chaos in the neighborhood. 

"You could see the tail rotar hanging over the house - and then smoke coming up," said one of the neighborhood residents. 

Other residents said they heard the sputtering of an engine and then a loud crash. 

No one was in the home at the time of the crash except the family dog, which was not injured. 

"The helicopter is laying on its side and one of the sides of the cockpit is broken open - so what our technical rescue crews did was actually got on to the roof with backboards, special equipment, make sure it was stabilized and then removed that pilot as safely as they can just like we would during a traffic accident," said Corey Dierdorf with Hillsborough Co. Rescue Fire. 

The family that lives at the home will not be able to stay at the home while clean up takes place. Fuel may have leaked into the home and the roof will have to be fixed. 

Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration also will be investigating the crash. 

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