NTSB Factual Report

On October 14, 2006, at 1458 eastern daylight time, a Lawing, Thomas R., Exec 162-F, experimental helicopter, N848TL, registered to a private owner, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91, personal flight, collided with the runway during takeoff from the Aiken Municipal Airport in Aiken, South Carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plane was filed. The helicopter received substantial damage. The private pilot and passenger reported no injuries. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.

According to the pilot, "I started to lift off from the Aiken Airport when a tailwind, estimated by a CFI who was nearby, of 20+ mph caught my tail. I lost tail rotor control at [approximately] 10 [feet] off the ground. As N848TL spun around, I lowered the collective and struck the pavement. The helicopter rolled onto the pilot’s side [and] stopped. There were many spectators nearby who removed us from the aircraft." Damage to the helicopter consisted of the tail boom, tail rotor, and main rotor.

The 1553 surface weather observation at Augusta Regional Airport, Augusta, Georgia, located 21 nautical miles southwest of the crash site was wind 250 degrees at 5 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear of clouds, temperature 66 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point temperature 39 degrees Fahrenheit, and altimeter 30.00.

According to an FAA Inspector, the helicopter lost tail rotor effectiveness and landed on the taxiway on its right side causing substantial damage. There were no mechanical problems reported by the pilot or discovered during the post-accident examination of the helicopter.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot’s failure to adequately compensate for wind conditions during takeoff which resulted in a loss of tail rotor effectiveness and a roll over during an attempted forced landing.