- Date
- October 10, 1988, 13:17 local (18:17 UTC)
- Place
- Mcalester, OK
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N137AAutra Scorpion/133
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 11, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881010045729A
- Case key
- 22695
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 homebuilt helicopter was departing on a local flight, when, on initial climbout, the low time, inexperienced student pilot made an abrupt maneuver which sent the helicopter into an uncontrolled descent. It impacted trees and a post crash fire occurred.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N137A
- Reported as
- Autra Scorpion/133 (SCORPION/1)
- Category
- Helicopter, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1376
- Engine
- Rotorway RW 133, 133 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Robert Thomas Autra
- Registered owner
- Robert Thomas Avtra
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 5, 1988
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 6 total · 6 in this make and model · 6 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MCL, 2 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.