# Accident 20250517006079A: Db Aerocopter Ltd AK1-3, Prineville, OR, May 17, 2025

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 17, 2025, 13:34 local time
- Place: Prineville, OR
- Airport: Prineville
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 44.2974° N, 120.9005° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.2974&lon=-120.9005&mi=10
- Aircraft: N163AK, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N163AK) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: DB Aerocopter AK1-3 (registry code 05634Q2, https://openairdocs.org/model/db-aerocopter-ak1-3) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Subaru EJ257 (registry code 59049, https://openairdocs.org/engine/subaru-ej257) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: DB AEROCOPTER LTD AK1-3
- Reported engine: SUBARU EJ257
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR25FA156](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR25FA156) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250517006079A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON MAY 17TH, 2025 AT 1335 HOURS, HELICOPTER WAS FLYING IN THE TRAFFIC PATERN AT MID FIELD ON RIGHT DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 29.  THE HELICOPTER IN LEVEL FLIGHT YAWED AND THEN RAPIDLY DESCENDED TOWARD THE GROUND.  PRIOR TO GROUND IMPACT A FLARE WAS INITIATED.  A HARD LANDING OCURRED WITH TAILBOOM STINGER AND TAILROTOR BLADES HITTING THE GROUND FIRST FOLLOWED ON BY THE HELICOPTER HITTING THE GROUND EXTREMELY HARD IN A DOWNWARD AND FORWARD DIRECTION. THE LANDING SKIDS WERE BENT AT INITAL CONTACT WITH GROUND. THE FUSELAGE THEN DEPARTED THE LANDING SKIDS AND BECOMING AIRBORNE FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET BEYOND THE LANDING SKIDS. FUSELAGE CAME TO REST ON IT'S RIGHT SIDE.  THE TAILBOOM AND AICRAFT PARTS FLEW OFF THE AIRCRAFT AND LANDED BEYOND THE AIRCRAFT WITH DRIVE SHAFT AT APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET BEYOND THE FUSELAGE.  FUEL WAS OBSERVED TO DRIP FROM A SMALL CRACK ON THE RIGHT SIDE NEXT TO THE LOWER MOUNTING STRAP. ABOUT 80 ML OF FUEL WAS THEN DRAINED FROM THE RIGHT SUMP. THE LEFT SUMP WAS EMPTY, AND NO FUEL COULD BE SEEN INSIDE THE TANK VIA THE FILLER NECK ON THE LEFT SIDE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB WPR25FA156](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR25FA156), May 17, 2025: DB Aerocopter AK1-3 (N163AK), Prineville, OR, substantial damage, 1 fatal, investigation ongoing

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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