Amateur-built MOSQUITO accident near Kershaw, South Carolina, September 23, 2019
On September 23, 2019 at about 3:00 pm local time, a 2018 amateur-built MOSQUITO (helicopter), registered N849GF, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Kershaw, South Carolina. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper cyclic input during takeoff, which resulted in a loss of helicopter control, the skid impacting the ground, and a subsequent dynamic rollover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 23, 2019 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Kershaw, South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built MOSQUITO XE, built 2018
- Registration
- N849GF · registry record · serial MXE1339J18B
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that, shortly after takeoff from his private cement pad and about 2 ft above ground level, the helicopter "darted forward and left." He attempted to correct the drift, but the helicopter began "swinging back and forth," the left skid impacted the ground, and the helicopter then dynamically rolled over. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor blades and tailboom. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. The student added that the he "did not have the cyclic in a neutral position when he lifted off" and that the accident flight was his first flight in the helicopter.
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 in flight during takeoff defining event
- Dynamic rollover during maneuvering (hover)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (hover)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience w/ equipment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 46 hours in all; 0 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 40 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 0.8 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 610 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Zanzottera MZ202 (piston); 1 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Kershaw SC at 3:00 pm
- Destination: Kershaw SC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 2:55 pm from KCDN, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on January 22, 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 | Accident Photo | 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.
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.