Accident: Sikorsky S-97A
Aug 2, 2017 · Jupiter, FL
NTSB numberERA17LA263Event id20170802X24925
- 0
- Fatalities
- 0
- Serious injuries
- 2
- Minor injuries
- 0
- Uninjured
Probable cause
A design change in the helicopter's fly-by-wire control system that resulted in an increase in the sensitivity of the cyclic stick while transitioning from ground to flight mode, magnifying the pilot's control inputs, which resulted in unintentional over control in the roll axis, upper and lower main rotor contact, and damage to the rotor blades.
Source: National Transportation Safety Board. Record last changed Oct 28, 2026, 10:54 UTC.
Aircraft involved
- Aircraft
- Sikorsky S-97A
- Registration
- N971SK
- Year built
- 2014
- Category
- Helicopter
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rules
- Part 91: general aviation
- Defining event
- Takeoff-rejected takeoff Flight control sys malf/fail
Source: National Transportation Safety Board aviation accident database. Counts only; Voydar holds no names.
Nearest airports
Airports with a Voydar profile closest to the recorded position. Proximity only.
- Witham Field (SUA)17 nm (32 km) north
- President Donald J. Trump International Airport (DJT)18 nm (34 km) south-east
- Palm Beach County Glades Airport (PHK)21 nm (39 km) west
This page restates the NTSB's public record. Injury figures are counts; Voydar does not hold or publish the names of anyone involved.