Amateur-built XE accident near Seffner, Florida, November 2, 2019
On November 2, 2019 at about 6:10 pm local time, a 2019 amateur-built XE (helicopter), registered UNREG, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Seffner, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter while landing, which resulted in a hard landing and dynamic rollover. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of helicopter experience.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 2, 2019 · about 6:10 pm local time
- Place
- Seffner, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built XE 285, built 2019
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register · serial MXE1330E18B
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot, who did not hold a helicopter rating, stated that when he was trying to land his single-seat, unregistered experimental helicopter, he landed too fast and the main rotor blade flexed and struck the tail before the helicopter rolled over. The pilot's neighbor stated that the pilot purchased the helicopter about 6 months before the accident, and he would practice taking off from her property, located behind his house. She said that the helicopter landed hard and began "bouncing around" before it flipped over and crashed. The pilot reported that the helicopter had accrued 16 hours at the time of the accident and that there were no mechanical deficiencies that contributed to the accident.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Dynamic rollover during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Qualification/certification › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Training › Total instruct/training recvd › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 200 hours in all
- Last flight review: August 1, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 720 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Inntec 800 (piston); 16 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: None Seffner FL at 5:55 pm
- Destination: None Seffner FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,500 ft; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 5:35 pm from VDF, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on June 10, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statements from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under UNREG the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.