Accident Details
At about 1400 eastern daylight time on March 28, 2015, a Rotorway 162F helicopter, registration N556DG, impacted terrain shortly after lifting off from a private helipad in Marquette, Michigan. The helicopter, operated by a private individual under 14 CFR Part 91 for personal use, sustained substantial damage to its main rotor blades, fuselage, and tailboom. The commercial-rated pilot reported no injuries. Visual meteorological conditions, including light winds with no gusts, prevailed at the time of the accident.
Pilot Account
According to the pilot, he was operating in a confined area and intended to hover to take measurements from a vibration computer. Shortly after transitioning to a hover, the helicopter began to yaw left. Despite the pilot applying right pedal input, the yaw persisted. The pilot then attempted to maneuver the helicopter away from nearby buildings, but the helicopter entered a spin. The pilot recounted that the helicopter completed at least six to eight rotations before a main rotor blade struck a tree, causing the helicopter to fall to the ground.
Inspection Findings
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector did not conduct an on-site examination of the helicopter. The pilot subsequently examined the tail rotor drive belts and determined that at least two of the three belts were undamaged. However, the pilot was unable to determine the reason for the loss of tail rotor effectiveness.