- Date
- July 30, 2025, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Holley, NY · Reported to be in grass west of the building 1/2 way between the building and the tree line
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N843WBPaul Dennis Berg Exec 162F
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Dynamic rollover
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 20, 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
- 20250730015349A
- Case key
- 200673
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
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance with the ground while hovering, which resulted in a dynamic rollover.
Findings · 2
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
The pilot of the helicopter was practicing hovering and maneuvering just above the surface of the ground, around a cone. The pilot stated that because he was focused on the cone and not the helicopter’s altitude, the rear portion of the right skid contacted the ground resulting in dynamic rollover. The helicopter’s tailboom was substantially damaged during the accident. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N843WB
- Reported as
- Paul Dennis Berg Exec 162F (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Helicopter, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 6437
- Built
- 2019
- Airframe hours
- 119
- Engine
- Rotorway 162, 120 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · October 24, 2024 · 9 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- PVT · None
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, 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
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 30, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 747 total · 120 in this make and model · 602 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 28,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KROC, 18 nm away
- METAR
- KROC 301754Z 02008KT 10SM FEW044 FEW095 SCT150 SCT200 BKN280 29/19 A3004 RMK AO2 SLP168 T02940189 10294 20211 58005
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 20, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 8.5 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.