NTSB Identification: ERA12LA373
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, May 30, 2012 in Smoketown, PA
Aircraft: FALTIN JOHN R ROTORWAY EXEC 162F, registration: N8707E
Injuries: 1 Minor.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On May 30, 2012, about 2010 eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Rotorway Exec 162F, N8707E, was substantially damaged during a hard landing at Smoketown Airport (S37), Smoketown, Pennsylvania. The certificated commercial pilot incurred minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to the pilot, he had recently finished performing maintenance on the helicopter, which included tracking its rotor system. He then positioned the helicopter in front of his hangar and proceeded to perform an operational check, before attempting to hover the helicopter. Immediately upon entering the hover, the pilot felt a large amount of vibration in the cyclic control and the helicopter began moving to the left. The pilot pushed the cyclic control right in an effort to stop the left movement of the helicopter, but the control input was ineffective. The pilot then climbed the helicopter to avoid a collision with several nearby posts and the hangar, and attempted to maneuver the helicopter to an open grass area. Realizing that the rotor rpm had decayed, he reduced the collective pitch and increased engine power. The helicopter then entered "settling with power" and impacted a taxiway located between two hangars.

An examination of the airframe was scheduled for a later date.

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