Rotorway EXEC 162F accident near Ithaca, MI
On May 13, 2000, a Rotorway EXEC 162F (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Ithaca, MI. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- May 13, 2000
- Place
- Ithaca, MI
- Aircraft
- Rotorway EXEC 162F · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 43.290°N, 84.599°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001212X20956
NTSB summary
On May 13, 2000, at 1249 eastern daylight time, an amateur-built Rotorway Exec 162F helicopter, N962WM, owned, built and operated by the private pilot, was destroyed on impact with terrain near Ithaca, Michigan. The personal 14 CFR Part 91 flight was not on a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The origin and destination of the flight have not been determined. The helicopter came to rest upright in a farm field. The wreckage trail began about 1/2 mile east-northeast of the main wreckage. At that point, pieces of Plexiglas and sheet metal were found. Portions of sheet metal from the tail-boom, the right horizontal stabilizer, the left entry doorframe and a section of the aft tail rotor drive belt were found about 3/8 mile east-northeast of the main wreckage. The tail rotor and gearbox along with the aft portion of the tail-boom were found about 1/8 mile north-northeast of the main wreckage. No anomalies were found that could be associated with a preexisting condition. The aircraft had departed from an industrial park in Lansing, Michigan and was flown to the West Branch Municipal Airport (Y31), West Branch, Michigan on the morning of the accident flight. The airport manager at Y31 reported that the aircraft was fueled at 1018 and then departed at about 1035. The accident site is located 55 nautical miles from Y31. It is not known if the pilot had landed at another site prior to the accident or if he had been flying the entire time. A post mortem examination of the pilot was performed at the Gratiot Community Hospital,
Probable cause
the door separation for undetermined reasons and the foreign object damage due to the door impact to the tailboom and tail rotor drive system.
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Browse: Michigan · Rotorway aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
