What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The following is a statement from the pilot:
"At my home field, 0PA3, I pulled privacy data omitted, a rotorway 162F, out of our hangar at approximately 1610,
July 4, 2025. I added approximately 8 gallons of fuel. Total fuel was something like 10 gallons. I
Cleaned the canopy and did the preflight. I found no issues during the preflight. Start and warm up
Was normal. Fuel showed above 3/4 of a tank and outside air temp was 27.5 c, according to the
Digital engine control. Hover check had normal instrument indications and manifold pressure to
Hover in ground effect was about 24 inches and out of ground effect was about 27 inches. The wind
Was almost calm at this point and I lifted up and transitioned to the grass runway. After some
Basic hover maneuvers I executed three takeoffs to quick stops going south on the runway, then
Turned around and did three more going north. I then departed 0PA3 and climbed to about 1800FT MSL
And proceeded west of east troy and then turned east and proceeded along the base of mount pisgah
And south of the lake at mount pisgah state park. I then turned south and proceeded along the
Burlington turnpike toward Burlington and climbed to about 2100 ft MSL. I flew over the west side
Of mountain lake. I had been airborne for maybe 20 minutes at this point. As I was turning west to
Return to 0PA3 smoke began to enter the cockpit. All the engine and flight instruments were normal
So I thought maybe the smoke was from a ground source, but there were no fires in the area. The
Smoke quickly got worse so it was clear to me that I had a fire and I started to scan the immediate
Area for an appropriate landing spot and began a descent. Then there was a bang and the aircraft
Lurched so I immediately dropped the collective and entered an autorotation. I was able to make a
Full stop autorotation into a hayfield and landed with no damage to the aircraft. I shutdown the
Aircraft. I believe the engine was not running when I shut down. I exited the aircraft and saw tiny
Flames coming from the bottom of the aircraft on the left side just behind the aft skid leg. The
Flames grew quickly and I called 911. It was approximately 1710. The aircraft was totally destroyed
By fire but the fire did not advance beyond the immediate vicinity of the aircraft so the impact to
The hayfield was minimal. I sustained no injuries as a result of the event".
As the FAA filed it
THE FOLLOWING IS A STATEMENT FROM THE PILOT:
"AT MY HOME FIELD, 0PA3, I PULLED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A ROTORWAY 162F, OUT OF OUR HANGAR AT APPROXIMATELY 1610,
JULY 4, 2025. I ADDED APPROXIMATELY 8 GALLONS OF FUEL. TOTAL FUEL WAS SOMETHING LIKE 10 GALLONS. I
CLEANED THE CANOPY AND DID THE PREFLIGHT. I FOUND NO ISSUES DURING THE PREFLIGHT. START AND WARM UP
WAS NORMAL. FUEL SHOWED ABOVE 3/4 OF A TANK AND OUTSIDE AIR TEMP WAS 27.5 C, ACCORDING TO THE
DIGITAL ENGINE CONTROL. HOVER CHECK HAD NORMAL INSTRUMENT INDICATIONS AND MANIFOLD PRESSURE TO
HOVER IN GROUND EFFECT WAS ABOUT 24 INCHES AND OUT OF GROUND EFFECT WAS ABOUT 27 INCHES. THE WIND
WAS ALMOST CALM AT THIS POINT AND I LIFTED UP AND TRANSITIONED TO THE GRASS RUNWAY. AFTER SOME
BASIC HOVER MANEUVERS I EXECUTED THREE TAKEOFFS TO QUICK STOPS GOING SOUTH ON THE RUNWAY, THEN
TURNED AROUND AND DID THREE MORE GOING NORTH. I THEN DEPARTED 0PA3 AND CLIMBED TO ABOUT 1800FT MSL
AND PROCEEDED WEST OF EAST TROY AND THEN TURNED EAST AND PROCEEDED ALONG THE BASE OF MOUNT PISGAH
AND SOUTH OF THE LAKE AT MOUNT PISGAH STATE PARK. I THEN TURNED SOUTH AND PROCEEDED ALONG THE
BURLINGTON TURNPIKE TOWARD BURLINGTON AND CLIMBED TO ABOUT 2100 FT MSL. I FLEW OVER THE WEST SIDE
OF MOUNTAIN LAKE. I HAD BEEN AIRBORNE FOR MAYBE 20 MINUTES AT THIS POINT. AS I WAS TURNING WEST TO
RETURN TO 0PA3 SMOKE BEGAN TO ENTER THE COCKPIT. ALL THE ENGINE AND FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS WERE NORMAL
SO I THOUGHT MAYBE THE SMOKE WAS FROM A GROUND SOURCE, BUT THERE WERE NO FIRES IN THE AREA. THE
SMOKE QUICKLY GOT WORSE SO IT WAS CLEAR TO ME THAT I HAD A FIRE AND I STARTED TO SCAN THE IMMEDIATE
AREA FOR AN APPROPRIATE LANDING SPOT AND BEGAN A DESCENT. THEN THERE WAS A BANG AND THE AIRCRAFT
LURCHED SO I IMMEDIATELY DROPPED THE COLLECTIVE AND ENTERED AN AUTOROTATION. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE A
FULL STOP AUTOROTATION INTO A HAYFIELD AND LANDED WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. I SHUTDOWN THE
AIRCRAFT. I BELIEVE THE ENGINE WAS NOT RUNNING WHEN I SHUT DOWN. I EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND SAW TINY
FLAMES COMING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE AIRCRAFT ON THE LEFT SIDE JUST BEHIND THE AFT SKID LEG. THE
FLAMES GREW QUICKLY AND I CALLED 911. IT WAS APPROXIMATELY 1710. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED
BY FIRE BUT THE FIRE DID NOT ADVANCE BEYOND THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF THE AIRCRAFT SO THE IMPACT TO
THE HAYFIELD WAS MINIMAL. I SUSTAINED NO INJURIES AS A RESULT OF THE EVENT".
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.