- Date
- July 4, 2025, 17:10 local (21:10 UTC)
- Place
- Towanda, PA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N31XRRobbins C/Robbins J Rotorway Exec 162F
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Fire/smoke (non-impact)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 14, 2025
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA / FSDO
- FAA report
- 20250704009739A
- Case key
- 200465
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 reasons that could not be determined due to the extent of fire damage.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
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.
Analysis
According to the pilot, about 20 minutes into a local flight, he observed smoke entering the cockpit of the experimental amateur-built helicopter while he was executing a turn. The pilot initiated a precautionary autorotation to a hayfield. After landing, he observed flames emanating from the lower aft left side of the fuselage, which quickly intensified. The pilot exited the helicopter and contacted emergency services. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector who responded to the accident site reported that the helicopter had been largely consumed by the fire. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the entire fuel system had been destroyed. A review of maintenance records indicated that both fuel lines to the fuel pumps had been replaced 13 flight hours before the accident due to a low fuel pressure anomaly. Due to the extent of the fire damage, the origin of the fire could not be determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N31XR
- Reported as
- Robbins C/Robbins J Rotorway Exec 162F
- Category
- Helicopter, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 6771
- Built
- 2007
- Airframe hours
- 237
- Engine
- Rotorway RI-162F, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- Both
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · July 24, 2024 · 13 hours before
- Departed
- 0PA3 · Troy, PA
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 2, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 18,925 total · 215 in this make and model · 17 in the last 90 days · 62 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- AVP, 24 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KAVP 042154Z AUTO 31008KT 10SM CLR 26/11 A3013 RMK AO2 SLP196 T02560111
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 14, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 12.1 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.