History of Flight
On September 28, 2014, about 1520 central daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Eagle R & D Helicycle helicopter, N7062U, impacted terrain after a loss of control while maneuvering in Gallatin, Tennessee. The private pilot was fatally injured and the helicopter was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The flight departed from a private residence about 1519 and was destined for Sumner County Regional Airport (M33), Gallatin, Tennessee.
According to a friend of the pilot, the pilot had departed M33 earlier in the day and flown to the friend's property. The landing was uneventful. While there, the pilot borrowed tools and increased the tension on the helicopter's drive belts. At about 1519, the pilot started the helicopter, lifted off, and departed to the southwest. About 1 minute later, the friend observed the helicopter flying toward him in a nose-low attitude, about 400 ft above ground level, at a high rate of speed. The helicopter then suddenly pitched over, began to tumble, and impacted in an inverted attitude, followed by a postcrash fire.
Personnel Information
According to FAA records, the pilot was first certificated in 1973 and held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. He owned a Cessna 150, an experimental amateur-built Bensen B-8M gyrocopter, and the Helicycle, but did not possess a rotorcraft gyroplane rating or rotorcraft helicopter rating. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on August 19, 2014, and he reported about 1,200 total flight hours.
Review of the pilot's logbook indicated 21.3 total hours of dual instruction in a Robinson R22 helicopter. The last logbook entry was dated August 14, 2014. The flight instructor who provided the instruction stated he never endorsed the pilot's logbook for solo flight in a helicopter and was unaware of any flight attempts in the Helicycle. The instructor noted the pilot displayed bad habits and occasional loss of control during training, and he told the pilot his skills were not sufficient for solo flight.
Aircraft Information
The Helicycle was a single-seat, experimental amateur-built helicopter with a two-blade, semi-rigid main rotor and a Solar T62-32 turboshaft engine. It was equipped with elastomeric thrust bearings, control friction devices, and an electronic throttle control. The helicopter received a special airworthiness certificate on October 6, 2008, and was purchased by the pilot on March 10, 2014. The most recent condition inspection was completed on May 5, 2011, and the helicopter had about 51 total hours of operation at the time of the accident.
Meteorological Information
At 1553, the reported weather at Nashville International Airport (BNA), 21 nautical miles southwest of the accident site, included calm winds, 10 miles visibility, scattered clouds at 4,200 ft, broken clouds at 6,000 ft, temperature 26°C, dew point 16°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.08 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Examination of the accident site revealed that the helicopter first made ground contact with the forward portion of the cockpit, then tumbled along the ground on a magnetic heading of about 030° for about 90 ft before coming to rest on its left side. No evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction was found in the engine or flight control system. A piece of angle iron, not part of the helicopter's structure or drive train according to the manufacturer, was found in the debris field. The pilot's friend said the pilot had attached it to the tail boom for weight and balance purposes.
Additional Information
Weight and balance calculations using manufacturer data, the previous owner's weight and balance sheet, the pilot's weight (211 lbs), and the angle iron (about 1 lb) showed the helicopter's center of gravity was outside the forward edge of the approved envelope. The imbalance resulted from the pilot's weight being 11 lbs more than the previous owner and 21 lbs more than the check pilot. The angle iron only accounted for 46% of the imbalance; about 2 lbs of weight would have been needed. The check pilot had advised the pilot to add weight to the tail boom if needed and to perform a hover check of the cyclic stick position, but this final balancing step was not accomplished before the flight.
Medical and Pathological Information
At the pilot's most recent FAA medical examination, he reported high blood pressure treated with benazepril. A letter from his primary care provider, dated after the certificate was issued, noted the pilot appeared disheveled, agitated, and anxious, and had diagnosed longstanding anxiety/depression with prescription of vilazodone. Vilazodone is not among the FAA-approved medications for depression. Toxicology testing detected diphenhydramine and sertraline in liver and blood. The autopsy listed cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries.