- Date
- August 24, 2019, 14:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Herisau, Switzerland
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- HB-YKJRotorway Exec 162F
- Defining event
- Autorotation: Loss of control in flight
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Lead agency
- Other
- Case key
- 100146
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Factual narrative
On August 24, 2019, about 1400 universal coordinated time, a Rotorway Exec 162F helicopter, Swiss registration HB-YKJ, was destroyed when it crashed in a meadow during an autorotation and caught fire, about 3 miles south of Herisau, Switzerland. The pilot was fatally injured, and the passenger sustained serious injuries. The accident investigation is under the jurisdiction and control of the government of Switzerland. This report is for information purposes only and contains only information released by or obtained from the Swiss Transport Investigation Safety Board (STSB). The NTSB has appointed a U.S. Accredited Representative to assist the STSB investigation under the provisions of ICAO Annex 13. Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from: Swiss Transport Investigation Safety Board (STSB) 3003 Bern, Switzerland Tel. +41 58 466 80 79 Fax +41 58 466 33 01 Website: https://www.stsb.admin.ch
Aircraft
- Registration
- HB-YKJ
- Reported as
- Rotorway Exec 162F (Undesignat)
- Category
- Helicopter, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 6468
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Operator
- Widmer, Marcel
- Registered owner
- Widmer, Marcel
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Other
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot