# NTSB ATL07LA063: Randy Stanley Rotoway Exc 162F, N494D, Foley, AL, March 29, 2007 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 29, 2007, 09:10 local (14:10 UTC) - Place: Foley, AL - Coordinates: 30.427778, -87.700553 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.4278&lon=-87.7006&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 31, 2008 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Birmingham FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 65499 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ATL07LA063 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/65499/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL07LA063 ## Probable cause Loss of engine power due to failure of the No. 4 engine exhaust valve. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(partial) - mech failure/malf, takeoff - initial climb - engine assembly,valve,exhaust - failure (cause) - autorotation - initiated, pilot in command(cfi) - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - Roll over, emergency landing ## Analysis According to the certified flight instructor (CFI), the purpose of the flight was for the student to practice approaches and departures. They used a parallel taxiway for takeoff. The student pilot was at the controls and began a normal takeoff. When they were about 250 feet above ground level (agl) on initial climb out the engine started backfiring and the helicopter began yawing left and right. The CFI immediately took the controls as the engine RPM started to decay. He entered an autorotation and reduced the engine RPM to reduce the yawing from the engine backfiring. At about 40 feet agl he flared the helicopter to stop the descent and slow the forward airspeed. He leveled the helicopter and they settled to the surface and were sliding forward when the front skids snagged the grass and the helicopter nosed over coming to rest on the right side. The CFI and student pilot escaped without injury. Examination of the helicopter by an FAA Inspector, found the helicopter resting on its right side with substantial damage to the main rotor blades, windscreen and the tail boom. Further examination of the engine found the engines No. 4 exhaust valve stuck in the valve guide with the rocker arm out of position. ## Factual narrative On March 29, 2007, about 0910 central daylight time, a Rotoway Executive 162F homebuilt helicopter, N494D, registered to Garanco, Inc., and operated by a certified flight instructor (CFI), collided with the ground during an autorotation landing following loss of engine power at the Foley Municipal Airport in Foley, Alabama. The instructional flight was operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The CFI and the student pilot report no injuries, and the helicopter was substantially damaged. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. According to the CFI, the purpose of the flight was for the student to practice approaches and departures. They used a parallel taxiway for takeoff. The student pilot was at the controls and began a normal takeoff. When they were about 250 feet above ground level (agl) on initial climb out the engine started backfiring and the helicopter began yawing left and right. The CFI immediately took the controls as the engine RPM started to decay. He entered an autorotation and reduced the engine RPM to reduce the yawing from the engine backfiring. At about 40 feet agl he flared the helicopter to stop the descent and slow the forward airspeed. He leveled the helicopter and they settled to the surface and were sliding forward when the front skids snagged the grass and the helicopter nosed over coming to rest on the right side. The CFI and student pilot escaped without injury. Examination of the helicopter by an FAA Inspector, found the helicopter resting on its right side with substantial damage to the main rotor blades, windscreen and the tail boom. Further examination of the engine found the engines No. 4 exhaust valve stuck in the valve guide with the rocker arm out of position. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N494D](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N494D), registered now, S/N 6567, built 2005 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Randy Stanley Rotoway Exc 162F - Registry model: [Garanco 162F](https://openairdocs.org/model/garanco-162f) (registry code 056179Q) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Rotorway RW-100 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotorway-rw-100-series) (registry code 55001, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter, amateur-built - Serial number: 6567 - Airframe hours: 63 - Engines: Rotorway RI-162F 150 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, July 1, 2006, 63 hours before - Departed: 5R4, Foley, AL - Airport: 5R4, Foley Municipal Airport ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 53; injuries: none; flight instructor, commercial; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review February 1, 2007; seat: left; flight hours: 1,661 total, 954 in this make and model, 1,092 as pilot in command, 87 in the last 90 days, 43 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours - Student pilot; age 55; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; seat: right; flight hours: 76 total, 76 in this make and model, 24 as pilot in command, 31 in the last 90 days, 8 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 0° at 3 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 79 °F, dew point 54 °F - Altimeter: 30.23 inHg - Observed at: MOB, 29 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20070329004559A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070329004559A), Mar 29, 2007: Amtr GARANCO162F, Foley, AL, Substantial damage. (-23) Engine lost power on climbout, instructor took control and aircraft made an emergency landing. Aircraft skids struck ground with enough forward momentum… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.