- Date
- November 13, 2007, 10:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- New Century, KS
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N46110Rotorway Exec 162-F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 30, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20071113827129A
- Case key
- 67201
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
While on approach the tail rotor spar failed due to metal fatigue .
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 pilot was doing hovering maneuvers at the end of the runway. He was cleared for a left pattern to return to the end of the runway. On final approach he felt a "moderate vibration" in the tail rotor, and elected to autorotate to a farm field adjacent to airport property rather than try to clear surrounding trees and fences. The helicopter landed hard, flexing the landing gear. The pilot later reported a spar in one of the tail rotor blades had failed due to metal fatigue.
Factual narrative
On November 13, 2007, at 0912 central standard time, a Rotorway Exec 162-F, N46110, registered to and operated by the pilot, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during an off-airport landing while on approach to New Century Aircenter (IXD), New Century, Kansas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot, the sole occupant on board, was not injured. The local flight had just originated.
According to the pilot's accident report, he was doing hovering maneuvers at the end of runway 22, He was cleared for a left pattern to return to the end of the runway. On final approach he felt a "moderate vibration" in the tail rotor, and elected to autorotate to a farm field adjacent to airport property rather than try to clear surrounding trees and fences. The helicopter landed hard, flexing the landing gear.
On January 25, 2008, the pilot was interviewed via telephone. He said a spar in the tail rotor blade had failed due to metal fatigue.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N46110
- Reported as
- Rotorway Exec 162-F
- Category
- Helicopter, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 6850
- Airframe hours
- 127
- Engine
- 146 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Donald B. Eikel
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · November 1, 2007 · 127 hours before
- Departed
- IXD · New Century, KS
- Destination
- IXD · New Century, KS
- Airport
- IXD · New Century Aircenter, runway 22, 5,130 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 200 total · 200 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- IXD
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.