Amateur-built Air Cam accident near Everett, Washington, February 10, 2010
On February 10, 2010, a amateur-built Air Cam, registered N125AC, was substantially damaged in an accident during standing (engine(s) operating) near Everett, Washington (Paine Field). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadvertent encounter with the rotor downwash from a hovering heavy-lift helicopter.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 10, 2010
- Place
- Everett, Washington · Paine Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Air Cam
- Registration
- N125AC · registry record · serial 019
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot taxied the ultralight airplane west between two rows of hangars up to the boundary of the non-movement area before stopping to contact ground control. At this time an Army Chinook helicopter made an approach to runway 34R before entering a hover over the runway in front of the pilot at an altitude estimated to be from 75 to 100 feet above ground level. As the helicopter descended to about 20 to 30 feet above ground level, the rotor wash from the helicopter picked the airplane up off the ground and blew it backwards and to the right. The airplane subsequently dropped to the ground on its right wingtip, coming to rest upright about 25 to 30 feet from where it was originally positioned. The airplane sustained damage to its right wing, including the flap and aileron, and the right main landing gear.
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
- Prop/jet/rotor blast/suction during standing (engine(s) operating) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Wake turbulence › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,072 hours in all; 88 in this make and model
- Last flight review: August 4, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 532 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 10, 2007; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,680 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Rotax 912 S (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Rotax 912 S (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAE Everett WA
- Destination: PAE Everett WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34R, 3,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 111°F (44°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from PAE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N125AC the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR10CA132.