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Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

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NTSB Report

May 13, 2000 · Rotorway EXEC 162F · N962WM

Ithaca, MI

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
May 13, 2000
Injury Outcomes
1 injury (1 fatality)
Location
Ithaca, MI
Aircraft
Rotorway EXEC 162F
Tail Number
N962WM
Injuries
Fatal
Aircraft Damage
Destroyed
NTSB Number
CHI00LA135

The helicopter was destroyed when it impacted the terrain. The helicopter came to rest upright in a farm field. Pieces of plexiglas, sheet metal, the right horizontal stabilizer and a section of the tail rotor drive belt were found about 1/2 mile east-northeast of the main wreckage. The left entry doorframe and the right horizontal tailboom fin were found about 1/4 mile east-northeast of the main wreckage. No anomalies were found that could be associated with a preexisting condition.

NTSB 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.

Full Narrative

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, Alma, Michigan. A Forensic Toxicology report from the Federal Aviation Administration was negative for ethanol, but listed Sildenafil and Cimetidine found in the fluids and body tissues. Sildenafil is the generic name for the brand name drug Viagra. Cimetidine is the active ingredient in the brand name drug Tagamet.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time12:49 EDT
Nearest Airport0nm
Runway0
Flight Plan FiledNone
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftRotorway EXEC 162F
Tail NumberN962WM
Aircraft CategoryHeli
DamageDestroyed
Operating RulePart 91
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsRotorway · RI162F · Reciprocating · 150
Seats2

People & Injuries

Injury Summary1 injury (1 fatality)
Fatal1
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured0
Total1
Crew 1Age 56 · Second Class

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind280° @ 21 kt, gusting 28 kt
Visibility10 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point55 / 37 C
Altimeter29.00 inHg
Observation Time17:57
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data