N8045H is a Hughes TH-55. It is a rotorcraft with 2 seats. The registration is active, with the registrant based in Titusville, FL. It has been registered to its current owner since Jul 2023. This page also carries 2 NTSB events.
2023
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The student pilot was working on adding a helicopter rating to his existing private pilot certificate and was on a solo flight to practice some landing approaches at a nearby airport. After completing the practice approaches and refueling the helicopter, the pilot flew back to his property. The pilot reported that when he entered a hover to land, the helicopter started to turn to the right “very fast.” The pilot applied full force to the left anti-torque pedal, but the helicopter continued to turn to the right. The helicopter then impacted trees and terrain. A postimpact fire consumed most of the helicopter. The weather reported at an airport about 17 nautical miles from the accident site included wind at 7 knots, with gusts to 22 knots. The pilot’s solo endorsement limited him to flights in wind conditions less than 13 knots. Following the accident, the pilot reported that he did not believe that there had been a mechanical malfunction or failure that would have prevented normal operation of the helicopter and that a wind gust had “caught” him, which resulted in the loss of control.
The wreckage was examined by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector at the accident site. While the examination was limited given the extent of the fire damage, the inspector did not observe any anomalies with the helicopter’s anti-torque system that would have precluded normal operation.
The helicopter pilot reported that while enroute, about 2 miles northeast from his destination airport, about 500 feet above ground level and 60 knots, he heard a loud "thud" from a possible bird strike and the upper right windscreen/canopy shattered, with pieces going into the main rotor disc and cabin. He continued to the airport and landed without further incident.
The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor blades.
The pilot, a certificated Airframe and Powerplant mechanic with Inspection Authorization, reported that after his examination, the main rotor blade damages were beyond the manufacturer's guidance and repair limits.
The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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