20050704018839A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Amtr EXEC90 · Weston, WV · July 4, 2005

Date: July 4, 2005 · 11:30 local
Place: Weston, WV
Airport: Louis Bennett Field Airport
Phase of flight: Sfl Autorotation
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N4359N
NTSB investigation: NTSBIAD05CA092
Reported as: Amtr EXEC90
Reported engine: AMTRRW ROTWY162
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Student
Pilot’s flight hours: 60 total35 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days

N4359NRegistration cancelled Jan 11, 2008 · Callahan Robert R R W EXEC 90S/N 5042 · Built 1992 Airframe modelCallahan Robert R R W EXEC 90 Engine modelRotorway RW-100 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) The student pilot was performing power recovery autorotation maneuvers and had accomplished several successful maneuvers on the day of the accident. At approximately 10 to 15 feet above the ground the pilot added throttle to the engine but it was not responsive. The pilot did not notice on the aircraft instruments whether the engine was in fact running or not. The aircraft did not have a current annual condition inspection. The airport was closed and a NOTAM had been issued. The aircraft had a hard landing and was destroyed by fire. The student pilot voluntarily surrendered his student pilot certificate.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE STUDENT PILOT WAS PERFORMING POWER RECOVERY AUTOROTATION MANEUVERS AND HAD ACCOMPLISHED SEVERAL SUCCESSFUL MANEUVERS ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. AT APPROXIMATELY 10 TO 15 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND THE PILOT ADDED THROTTLE TO THE ENGINE BUT IT WAS NOT RESPONSIVE. THE PILOT DID NOT NOTICE ON THE AIRCRAFT INSTRUMENTS WHETHER THE ENGINE WAS IN FACT RUNNING OR NOT. THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT HAVE A CURRENT ANNUAL CONDITION INSPECTION. THE AIRPORT WAS CLOSED AND A NOTAM HAD BEEN ISSUED. THE AIRCRAFT HAD A HARD LANDING AND WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE. THE STUDENT PILOT VOLUNTARILY SURRENDERED HIS STUDENT PILOT CERTIFICATE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB IAD05CA092Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportWeston, WVA loss of engine power for undetermined reasons during an attempted power recovery. A factor in the accident was the pilot's failure to maintain rotor rpm, which resulted in a hard landing and subsequent post crash fire.Jul 4, 2005 · Destroyed

Other reports on N4359N · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19990621007399APwr Off Vert Land/Autorotate · Tampa, FLExperimental rw exec 90 helicopter experienced engine failure at 300 feet AGL, and the pilot auto-rotated the acft to the ground, other circumstances are unknown. (.4)the non-certificated pilot preflighted the helicopter and after engine start, one of the…Jun 21, 1999 · Substantial damage