History of Flight
On April 27, 2014, at about 1251 Pacific daylight time, a McDonnell Douglas Helicopters MD600N, registration N606BP, operated by Classic Rotors Museum under 14 CFR Part 91, collided with terrain in Adelanto, California. The flight was a cross-country personal flight with a planned destination of Ramona, California. The airline transport pilot in the right seat was seriously injured, and the commercial-rated pilot in the left seat and one passenger in a rear seat sustained minor injuries. The helicopter was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
Due to the nature of his injuries, the ATP could not provide a statement about the circumstances of the accident. An FAA inspector interviewed the commercial pilot shortly after the accident. The commercial pilot stated that he was being evaluated to fly the helicopter for the museum and was at the controls as pilot-in-command during the accident. He informed the ATP that he had 10,000 hours of flight time, primarily from working off fishing boats in Guam. However, he could not provide records validating that flight time or proof that he was a current, active pilot. His last medical certificate, dated December 15, 1993, indicated a total flight time of 3,300 hours. Attempts to locate the commercial pilot for further information were unsuccessful.
Witness Statement
A witness reported that he had flown the helicopter with the ATP for 25 minutes prior to the accident flight, completing one takeoff and one landing. He stated that all controls responded as commanded during his flight. The commercial pilot and a passenger then boarded. Winds were from the west, and the helicopter was on a heading of 250 degrees. As it lifted off, it initially tilted left, appearing to be at risk of a dynamic rollover. The witness saw the commercial pilot increase collective pitch; the helicopter then yawed 90 degrees to the right and tilted nose down. It departed the ramp to the north, maintaining a left bank angle of nearly 90 degrees while rotating nose-right. The helicopter spun approximately three revolutions until the engine power was reduced to flight idle. After power reduction, the nose dropped, the main rotor blade struck a fence pole, causing a sudden stoppage, and a hard landing collapsed the right landing gear.
Examination
The NTSB investigator-in-charge, an FAA inspector, and investigators from MD Helicopters and Rolls-Royce examined the recovered airframe and engine on May 28, 2014, at Flight Trail Helicopters in Mesa, Arizona. Control continuity for the collective, cyclic, pedals, and throttle was established. Crush damage was more pronounced on the right side of the airframe. Drive train continuity was established from the rotor hub through the transmission to the NOTAR fan. The NOTAR gearbox chip detector was clean, and the NOTAR rotated freely by hand. The throttle moved freely from stop to stop and followed the cockpit throttle control.
The engine remained installed and was securely mounted. All external lines and connections were secure. The compressor impeller exhibited some leading edge foreign object damage, but it could not be determined if this occurred before or during the accident sequence. The fourth stage turbine wheel turned freely; the rotor head rotated in one direction but not the opposite. The first stage turbine blades showed no damage. The engine oil level was above the line, the oil filter was clean, and both magnetic chip detectors were clean. The oil scavenge filter was also clean. Fuel drained from the low pressure fuel filter appeared clear. The N1 turned freely and was continuous from the compressor to the starter generator. The fuel nozzle appeared normal. No evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction was noted.