- Date
- June 17, 2006, 12:20 local (16:20 UTC)
- Place
- Mooresville, IN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9164XMcFarland Rotorway Exec
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 3, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA-Indianapolis FSDO
- FAA report
- 20060617016099A
- Case key
- 64103
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
An in-flight fire for undetermined reasons.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The amateur-built helicopter was destroyed by a fire that began in-flight and continued on the ground after landing. The flight instructor and dual student were not injured. The instructor and dual student reported that the instructional flight consisted of practicing hovering. They stated that approximately 20 minutes into the flight they thought they smelled smoke and decided to make a precautionary landing. The pilots reported that once they landed, smoke was coming out of the engine compartment and the engine had stopped. Both pilots exited the helicopter safely. Subsequent efforts to extinguish the fire were unsuccessful. A post accident examination was unable to determine the source of the fire due to the extensive damage to the helicopter.
Factual narrative
The amateur-built helicopter was destroyed by a fire that began in-flight and continued on the ground after landing. The flight instructor and dual student were not injured. The instructor and dual student reported that the instructional flight consisted of practicing hovering. They stated that approximately 20 minutes into the flight they thought they smelled smoke and decided to make a precautionary landing. The pilots reported that once they landed, smoke was coming out of the engine compartment and the engine had stopped. Both pilots exited the helicopter safely. Subsequent efforts to extinguish the fire were unsuccessful. A post accident examination was unable to determine the source of the fire due to the extensive damage to the helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9164X
- Reported as
- McFarland Rotorway Exec
- Category
- Helicopter, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 8601439
- Airframe hours
- 340
- Engine
- Rotorway RI-162, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- Both
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · October 1, 2005
- Departed
- PVT · Mooresville, IN
- Airport
- PVT · Private
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 1, 2003
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,100 total · 15 in this make and model · 3,100 as pilot in command · 90 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- IND, 10 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.