Aircraft Information
The aircraft involved was a Rotorway 162F, owned and built by the pilot. At the time of the incident, the builder was conducting initial flight tests.
Accident Details
During the flight, the pilot performed pedal turns. While executing a turn, the left pedal "popped" and "fell away." The pilot immediately lowered the collective and executed a hard landing. The hard landing caused significant damage to the tail boom.
Post-Accident Inspection
After the landing, the pilot inspected the helicopter and discovered that the foot pedal scissor beam had pulled away from its retaining bolt. The scissor beam was designed to be sandwiched between two nylon pivot bushings and retained by an aluminum bushing and bolt. During the construction phase, the builder had inadvertently mounted the aluminum bushing on the inside of the scissor beam. This misplacement allowed the beam to be pulled past the mounting bolt when pressure was applied, leading to the failure.