What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 7, 2021, at 1810 eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built rotorway exec 162F helicopter, N162KJ, crashed into a wooded area approximately one mile from the main road.
The main wreckage was located at the bottom of a steep hill and came to rest on its right side and top, almost completely inverted, largely consumed by a post impact fire.
The accident scene revelated a debris path about 400 feet long, oriented on a heading of 210 degrees magnetic. It began in an open field of 4-FT tall grass, with a 4 inch by 4 inch fractured pieces of aluminum skin from the right side of the tail boom, just foreword of the tail rotor arc. The right horizontal stabilizer was located 156 feet along the wreckage path, and the left horizontal stabilizer was located about 10 feet further down the path.
A 4 foot section of the aft end of the tail boom, including the vertical stabilizer, and tail rotor gear box (with one tail rotor blade attached) was located 30 feet further down the path just after the path transitioned from the grass field through the tree line into a wooded area. An impact mark on the right side of the tail boom section, near the fractured foreword end was consistent in size and shape with the profile of the main rotor blade. The NTSB verbally declared the aircraft destroyed.
Both the pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane-single engine land. He did not possess a helicopter rating or medical certificate.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 7, 2021, AT 1810 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL, AMATEUR-BUILT ROTORWAY EXEC 162F HELICOPTER, N162KJ, CRASHED INTO A WOODED AREA APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE FROM THE MAIN ROAD.
THE MAIN WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED AT THE BOTTOM OF A STEEP HILL AND CAME TO REST ON ITS RIGHT SIDE AND TOP, ALMOST COMPLETELY INVERTED, LARGELY CONSUMED BY A POST IMPACT FIRE.
THE ACCIDENT SCENE REVELATED A DEBRIS PATH ABOUT 400 FEET LONG, ORIENTED ON A HEADING OF 210 DEGREES MAGNETIC. IT BEGAN IN AN OPEN FIELD OF 4-FT TALL GRASS, WITH A 4 INCH BY 4 INCH FRACTURED PIECES OF ALUMINUM SKIN FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE TAIL BOOM, JUST FOREWORD OF THE TAIL ROTOR ARC. THE RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER WAS LOCATED 156 FEET ALONG THE WRECKAGE PATH, AND THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER WAS LOCATED ABOUT 10 FEET FURTHER DOWN THE PATH.
A 4 FOOT SECTION OF THE AFT END OF THE TAIL BOOM, INCLUDING THE VERTICAL STABILIZER, AND TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX (WITH ONE TAIL ROTOR BLADE ATTACHED) WAS LOCATED 30 FEET FURTHER DOWN THE PATH JUST AFTER THE PATH TRANSITIONED FROM THE GRASS FIELD THROUGH THE TREE LINE INTO A WOODED AREA. AN IMPACT MARK ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE TAIL BOOM SECTION, NEAR THE FRACTURED FOREWORD END WAS CONSISTENT IN SIZE AND SHAPE WITH THE PROFILE OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE. THE NTSB VERBALLY DECLARED THE AIRCRAFT DESTROYED.
BOTH THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE PILOT HELD A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH A RATING FOR AIRPLANE-SINGLE ENGINE LAND. HE DID NOT POSSESS A HELICOPTER RATING OR MEDICAL 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.