Pilot Debrief

ROTORWAY EXEC near Plymouth, IN — 2024-10-11

Final reportCEN25LA013
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Date
2024-10-11
Location
Plymouth, IN, USA
Airport
C65
Aircraft
ROTORWAY EXEC
Registration
N314AC
Category
Helicopter
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Maneuvering

Probable cause

A loss of control due to the failed forward tail rotor belt as a result of the owner’s failure to follow the helicopter manufacturer’s tail rotor belt replacement recommendations.

NTSB narrative

The helicopter owner/pilot reported that while he and his flight instructor were practicing an autorotation, the flight instructor heard a noise. Shortly thereafter, the helicopter started to yaw to the left and the airspeed decreased. The flight instructor took over control of the helicopter and initiated an autorotation to a corn field. The right skid caught the ground, and the helicopter rolled onto its right side. The main rotor and fuselage sustained substantial damage. A postaccident examination revealed that the forward tail rotor belt broke. The belt was found frayed at the separation point. A review of the tail rotor maintenance records revealed that the tail rotor belts had not been replaced since 2006. The manufacturer recommends tail rotor belt replacement at 250 hours, 2 years, or as needed upon conditional inspections, whichever comes first. The operator reported that before the accident the belts appeared to be in satisfactory condition but acknowledged they were beyond the 2-year service life and should have been replaced.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Mechanical failure
First missed decision gate
Replace tail rotor belts before exceeding 2-year service life.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 5 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents5

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