Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Mosquito XE, N911CY, owned and operated by the pilot: Accident occurred April 24, 2018 at Gaines Valley Aviation Airport (NY06), Albion, Orleans County, New York

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

Additional Participating Entity: 
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Rochester, New York

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

http://registry.faa.gov/N911CY

Aviation Accident Preliminary Report - National Transportation Safety Board

Location: Albion, NY
Accident Number: ERA18LA135
Date & Time: 04/24/2018, 1403 EDT
Registration: N911CY
Aircraft: HEARD ALAN E MOSQUITO XE
Injuries: 1 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

On April 24, 2018, about 1403 eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Mosquito XE helicopter, N911CY, was destroyed by a postimpact fire after a hard landing shortly after takeoff from Gaines Valley Aviation Airport (NY06), Albion, New York. The private pilot was seriously injured. The helicopter was owned and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the local flight.

According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the pilot advised him while hospitalized that after takeoff, while flying about twice the height of powerlines in a westerly direction over a field, the helicopter experienced a partial loss of engine power. He began looking for a place to land, and then the engine experienced total loss of power. He indicated that the helicopter did not have adequate main rotor rpm to autorotate, and as a result it impacted hard.

A witness who was driving on Gaines Road near NY06 reported observing the helicopter hovering approximately 6 ft above ground level adjacent to hangars. He then observed the helicopter ascend "straight up" to about twice the height as nearby powerlines, and then proceeded in a westerly direction crossing Gaines Road. He observed a "small piece" separate and then heard a popping sound that was immediately followed by a grinding sound. The helicopter then began a steep descent during which time a "second piece" separated from the helicopter. The helicopter impacted the ground and immediately burst into flames. He called 911, then responded to the accident site and rendered assistance to the pilot until first responders arrived.

The helicopter, which was equipped with an Innovator Technologies Inntec 800 two-stroke, two cylinder, 85 horsepower engine, was retained for examination. 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Manufacturer: HEARD ALAN E
Registration: N911CY
Model/Series: MOSQUITO XE NO SERIES
Aircraft Category: Helicopter
Amateur Built: Yes
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None 

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: ROC, 559 ft msl
Observation Time: 1354 EDT
Distance from Accident Site: 26 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 18°C / 1°C
Lowest Cloud Condition:
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: Light and Variable, Variable
Lowest Ceiling: Broken / 9500 ft agl
Visibility:  10 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.16 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Albion, NY (NY06)
Destination: Albion, NY (NY06)

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Serious
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: On-Ground
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: Unknown
Total Injuries: 1 Serious
Latitude, Longitude: 43.296389, -78.222500 (est)



A man is recovering after his small helicopter crashed in Orleans County Tuesday.

Emergency responders tell News10NBC the pilot, 64-year-old Alan Heard of Waterport, could have died if it wasn't for a good Samaritan. 

Investigators say the Mosquito XE model helicopter ran into engine trouble and went down in flames Tuesday afternoon near the Gaines Valley Aviation Airport in Gaines. News10NBC is told it was a helicopter built from a kit. 

Deputies say Mark Bennett, also of Waterport, was driving by and saw the helicopter preparing to take off so he stopped to watch. After lifting off to an altitude of approximately 100 to 200 feet, the helicopter began experiencing mechanical problems.

Popping and grinding sounds were heard by witnesses, deputies say, as the helicopter traveled west over Gaines-Waterport Road. At this point, the aircraft was on fire and Heard performed a hard landing on the skids in a field.

Bennett climbed over an electric fence and ran to the crash site. He helped Heard get out of the aircraft and away from the wreckage. Deputies say Heard's clothes were on fire and Bennett was able to roll Heard and cut his shirt off with a knife to extinguish the flames. 

"The Lord had me come by just at that time," Bennett said. "To God be the glory. All I did was what anyone else would've done, I guess."

Heard was taken to Strong Hospital with burns and a back injury. As of Wednesday afternoon, Heard is in the ICU in guarded condition.

The Albion Fire Department and Carlton Fire Company also assisted at the scene. F.A.A. investigators secured parts of the aircraft along with a Go-Pro camera for analysis as they work to determine the cause of the crash.


Story and video ➤ http://www.whec.com



Carlton, N.Y. (WHAM) - The pilot of a homemade helicopter was taken to Strong Memorial Hospital Tuesday afternoon after crashing in a field across a small airport in Orleans County.

This happened at the Gaines Valley Airport in Carlton around 2 p.m.

The Gaines Valley Airport is located on State Route 279, approximately 40 miles northwest of Rochester.

Orleans County Sheriff Randy Bower said the helicopter was a small, private chopper called a "mosquito." It was reportedly flying for about 10 minutes before crashing and only went as high as power lines.

Sheriff Bower said the pilot was maybe 100 feet up in the air when a witness heard a pop and the helicopter came down, immediately catching fire.

“I came around the corner of the back of my house and looked out and saw the fire," said Irene Drennen who lives next to the airport. “It was way high. I said, oh my God. That’s a crash."

After calling 911, Dirk Climenhaga, who lives next to the field where the crash happened, ran to the scene to help.

"The fire started getting worse and worse, and all I could see was a ball of fire and smoke rising up," said Climenhaga.

Climenhaga said his friend Mark arrived on scene right before him and helped to put the fire out on the pilot's back.

"He grabbed him out of the helicopter and put him on the ground," he said. "That’s when I got to Mark and the person in the helicopter and looked to see what his condition was."

The pilot of the helicopter, a man in his 60s, suffered burns to his back, according to Orleans County Sheriff's deputies. There was no one else on board the helicopter at the time of the crash.

A small, white pile of debris is all that is left of the private helicopter in a farmer's field.

There is no word on what might have caused the crash, but the FAA is investigating and is reportedly looking into whether there was an issue with the engine.

Original article can be found here ➤ http://13wham.com





ALBION, N.Y. — A man in his 60s crashed his homemade helicopter at the Gaines Valley Aviation Airport in Albion just before 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Orleans County sheriff.

He says the pilot normally flies the helicopter but doesn't go too high. Today, he did, heard a bang and the chopper starting going down. It crashed into a field and caught fire.

Witnesses say they saw the pilot roll over, putting out flames from his back.

The FAA says it is investigating.


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




GAINES, N.Y. (WKBW) - The man who was operating a homebuilt helicopter that crashed Tuesday afternoon at the Gaines Valley has been hospitalized.

The crash happened at the Gaines Valley Airport just before 2 p.m.

According to ABC affiliate WHAM, the Orleans County Sheriff said the small helicopter, known as a "mosquito," was reportedly in the air for about 10 minutes before crashing. The sheriff told WHAM that the aircraft got no higher than power lines.

Deputies told WHAM the pilot and sole occupant was a man in his sixties, who suffered burns on his back. He was taken to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester for treatment.

Investigators are now looking into what caused the crash.

Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.wkbw.com

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