# NTSB ERA22FA397: Rotorway Jetexec, N162NH, Arthur, KY, September 3, 2022 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report - Date: September 3, 2022, 17:40 local (22:40 UTC) - Place: Arthur, KY - Coordinates: 37.175949, -86.15031 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.1759&lon=-86.1503&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/120) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA - NTSB case key (mKey): 105866 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA22FA397 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/105866/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=105866 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22FA397 ## Probable cause The pilot’s decision to attempt the cross-country flight in thunderstorm conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to obtain a weather briefing. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Info processing/decision: decision making/judgment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Hisserich Nicholas S JETEXEC, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md?model=05637NP), [All aircraft, 3,098 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: altitude](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062012): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Hisserich Nicholas S JETEXEC, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062012/cases.md?model=05637NP), [All aircraft, 1,310 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062012/cases.md) - [Convective weather: thunderstorm](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03033010): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on operation (probable cause); cases with it: [Hisserich Nicholas S JETEXEC, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03033010/cases.md?model=05637NP), [All aircraft, 100 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03033010/cases.md) - [Planning/preparation: weather planning](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061020): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Hisserich Nicholas S JETEXEC, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061020/cases.md?model=05637NP), [All aircraft, 156 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061020/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute: VFR encounter with IMC](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/401); cases with it: [Hisserich Nicholas S JETEXEC, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/401/sequence.md?model=05637NP), [All aircraft, 392 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/401/sequence.md) - [Enroute: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/120) (defining event); cases with it: [Hisserich Nicholas S JETEXEC, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/120/sequence.md?model=05637NP), [All aircraft, 1,074 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/120/sequence.md) ## Analysis The helicopter pilot was flying a cross-country flight in thunderstorms. The former owner of the helicopter, its new owner, stated they were worried about the weather and tried to talk the pilot into waiting 1 day until the weather improved, however, the pilot did not want to wait and subsequently departed for his home airport. Postaccident examination revealed no anomalies with the engine or airframe that would have precluded normal operation. There was no record of the pilot obtaining a weather briefing and rising terrain led up to the area of the accident. The observations surrounding the time of the accident from the closest official weather station indicated visual flight rules to instrument flight rules conditions, with reflectivity data indicating that thunderstorms were present along the route and at the accident site at the time of the accident. Accordingly, the flight likely encountered reduced visibility and heavy rain while in thunderstorms as a result of the pilot’s decision to fly in thunderstorm conditions. Had the pilot obtained a weather briefing he likely would have had increased his awareness of the severity of the weather conditions along his route of flight and may have elected to delay the flight further until conditions improved. ## Factual narrative HISTORY OF FLIGHT On September 3, 2022, about 1740 central daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built RotorWay JetExec helicopter, N162NH, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Arthur, Kentucky. The pilot was fatally injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. The accident pilot was a friend of the helicopter owner, who had purchased the helicopter about 1 week before the accident and asked his friend to fly the helicopter from Missouri to Tennessee. The owner of the helicopter stated that he was “worried” about the weather on the day of the accident and tried to talk the pilot into waiting to fly the helicopter to Tennessee until the weather improved. The pilot did not want to wait, and he and his wife departed on the cross country flight about 1030. According to the seller and previous owner, about 30 minutes later, the helicopter returned to the departure airport so that the pilot could drop off his wife. The seller stated that he tried to talk the pilot out of leaving that day because that flight would be long and rain was occurring along the route. The pilot waited “a couple of hours for the weather to improve” and then departed again. On September 5, the helicopter wreckage was located in heavily wooded, steep terrain in Mammoth Cave National State Park. Review of automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data revealed that data associated with the helicopter’s flight track ended about 40 nautical miles prior to the accident location. Additionally, the terrain became generally higher leading up to the area of the accident site. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION A search of archived information indicated that the accident pilot did not request weather information from Leidos Flight Service or ForeFlight. The accident pilot updated various potential flight paths and viewed airport information via ForeFlight through 1326 on the day of the accident. The available evidence did not show what, if any, weather information the accident pilot may have viewed before or during the accident flight. A convective SIGMET advisory was valid for the accident site at the accident time. The advisory, which was issued at 1655, warned of an area of thunderstorms with cloud tops above flight level 450 with the convective area moving from 210° at 15 knots. In addition, a convective SIGMET was issued at 1555 that was valid for the accident area (Figure 1). Figure 1. Aviation Weather Center graphic valid at 1700 CDT with valid convective SIGMETs, AIRMETs, and PIREPS with the accident location marked. The observations surrounding the time of the accident from the closest official weather station indicated visual flight rules to instrument flight rules conditions with moderate-to-heavy rain and thunderstorms. Radar returns (Figure 2) showed the precipitation in the vicinity of the accident area, moving from southwest to northeast. 318 lightning flashes were reported within 50miles of the accident site within 20 minutes before or after the time of the accident (Figure 3). Figure 2. National Reflectivity Mosaic for 1740 CDT with the accident site marked with the black circle. Figure 3. Base reflectivity scan initiated at 1739:55 CDT with the accident site marked with the black circle. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION The helicopter came to rest on its left side on a magnetic heading of about 045°. The cabin, instrument panel, seats, and engine compartment had fractured into several pieces. The tailboom remained attached to the fuselage but was heavily damaged from impact forces. The tail rotor was wedged between two trees, and both tail rotor blades had separated and were located near the front of the helicopter. The engine was separated from the gearbox due to impact. The engine exhibited evidence of tortional twisting. The engine and main rotor gearbox rotated freely. A borescope examination of the combustion and turbine blades found no anomalies. MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION The Office of the State Medical Examiner, Louisville, Kentucky, performed an autopsy of the pilot. His cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries to the body. Toxicology testing performed by the Federal Aviation Administration Forensic Sciences Laboratory detected ethanol and propanol in the pilot’s blood but not in his urine. Ethanol is a social drug commonly consumed by drinking beer, wine, or liquor. It acts as a central nervous system depressant; it impairs judgment, psychomotor functioning, and vigilance. After absorption, ethanol is quickly and uniformly distributed throughout the body’s tissues and fluids. Ethanol can be produced after death by microbial activity, sometimes along with other alcohols, such as propanol. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Title 14 CFR 91.103 states that “each pilot in command shall, before beginning a flight, become familiar with all available information concerning that flight.” Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circular 91-92, “Pilot’s Guide to a Preflight Planning” (dated March 15, 2021), provided information on preflight self-briefings, including planning, weather interpretation, and risk identification/mitigation skills. The advisory circular further stated in part the following: Pilots adopting these guidelines will be better prepared to interpret and utilize real-time weather information before departure and en route, in the cockpit, via technology like Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) and via third-party providers. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N162NH](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N162NH-2023-05-16), registration cancelled 2023-05-16, S/N 109, built 2019 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: ROTORWAY JETEXEC (NO SERIES EXISTS) - Registry model: [Hisserich Nicholas S JETEXEC](https://openairdocs.org/model/hisserich-nicholas-s-jetexec) (registry code 05637NP) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Solar T62T-32](https://openairdocs.org/engine/solar-t62t-32) (registry code 58102, turbo-shaft) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter, amateur-built - Serial number: 109 - Year built: 2019 - Airframe hours: 135 - Engines: Solar T62T-32 165 horsepower turbo shaft - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, September 2, 2022, 3 hours before - Departed: TWT, Sturgis, KY - Destination: GLW, Glasgow, KY - Equipment: ADS-B ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 69; injuries: fatal; airline transport, flight engineer; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane, helicopter; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: 4-point; toxicology performed; flight hours: 40,000 total, 5 in this make and model, 150 in the last 90 days ## Weather - Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Day - Wind: 280° at 6 knots - Visibility: 7 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 9,000 ft overcast - Temperature: 72 °F, dew point 72 °F - Altimeter: 30.08 inHg - Observed at: KGLW, 13 nm away - METAR: KGLW 032235Z AUTO 28006KT 7SM RA OVC090 22/22 A3008 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT N S AND NW P0009 T02240220 ## 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 20220903015299A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220903015299A), Sep 3, 2022: Hisserich Nicholas S JETEXEC, Mammoth Cave, KY, Destroyed, 1 fatal. On 09/03/2022, pilot departed creve coeur airport (1H0) (st louis, MO). Witnesses reported aircraft returned 30 minutes later due to weather. Departed 1-2… ## Docket (20 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 20, 2024, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=105866. 41.8 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 2.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14803260&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120.1_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Memorandum for record a�� telephone interview, seller (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 116 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14803142&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Record%20of%20interview-seller-Rel.pdf - Memorandum for record a�� telephone interview, new owner and friend of pilot (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 110 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14802956&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Record%20of%20interview-new%20owner%20and%20friend%20of%20pilot-Rel.pdf - Meteorology specialist's factual report (item 4, PDF, 31 pages, 2.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14743551&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ERA22FA397_weatherfactualSuffernfinal-Rel.pdf - Weather attachment 1 (item 5, GIF, 16.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14742914&FileExtension=gif&FileName=attachment1_animation_wx_radarKLVX_2219to2256utc-Rel.gif - Weather attachment 2 (item 6, PDF, 5 pages, 2.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14743670&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=attachment2-Rel.pdf - Weather attachment 3 (item 7, PDF, 2 pages, 180 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14743473&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=attachment3_era22fa397_ForeFlight%20Re_%20NTSB%20request%20on%20N162NH_Redacted-Rel.pdf - ADS-B attachment 1 - raw data - 1st leg (item 8, CSV, 2.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15668166&FileExtension=csv&FileName=1st%20leg%20raw%20data-Rel.csv - ADS-B - attachment 2 - 1st leg plot (item 9, KMZ, 89 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15668176&FileExtension=kmz&FileName=1st%20leg%20circle%20back%20to%20airport-Rel.kmz - ADS-B - attachment 3 - raw data - 2nd leg (item 10, CSV, 4.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15668665&FileExtension=csv&FileName=2nd%20leg%20raw%20data%20to%20Sparta%20Airport-Rel.csv - ADS-B - attachment 4 - 2nd leg plot (item 11, KMZ, 170 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15668963&FileExtension=kmz&FileName=2nd%20leg%20to%20Sparta%20airport-Rel.kmz - ADS-B attachment 5 - raw rata - 3rd leg (item 12, CSV, 4.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15669166&FileExtension=csv&FileName=3rd%20leg%20raw%20data%20from%20Sparta%20to%20Sturgis%20airport-Rel.csv - Adsb attachment 6, 3rd leg plot (item 13, KMZ, 145 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15669353&FileExtension=kmz&FileName=3rd%20leg%20to%20Sturgis%20airport-Rel.kmz - ADS-B attachment 7 - raw data - final segment (item 14, CSV, 2.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15668186&FileExtension=csv&FileName=4th%20leg%20raw%20data%20to%20end%20of%20data-Rel.csv - Adsb attachment 8 - final segment plot (item 15, KMZ, 73 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15668764&FileExtension=kmz&FileName=4th%20leg%20to%20end%20of%20data-Rel.kmz - Investigative photos (item 16, PDF, 5 pages, 3.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14803054&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Investigative%20Photo%27s-Rel.pdf - Wreckage examination summary (item 17, PDF, 4 pages, 227 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16504535&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Wreckage%20Examination%20Summry-Rel.pdf - Memorandum for record a�� wreckage disposition (item 18, PDF, 1 page, 143 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16841924&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ERA22FA397_Wreckage%20Disposition-Rel.pdf - Toxicological report (item 19, PDF, 1 page, 167 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14803044&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=TOX_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Medical factual (item 20, PDF, 3 pages, 130 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15106715&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ERA22FA397_Arthur_KY_Medical_Factual_FINAL_021423-Rel.pdf 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.