Rotorway 162F N321JN

Summary

On 13 November 2005 at about 22:30 local time, a Rotorway 162F registered N321JN was involved in an accident near Chandler, Arizona, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 November 2005 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Chandler, Arizona, United States

Coordinates

33.2667, -111.8167

Aircraft

Rotorway 162F

Registration

N321JN

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Phoenix → Chandler

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX06CA033

Nobody was injured.

a loss of engine power due to fuel contamination (rust, water) as a result of the pilot's inadequate preflight planning preparation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The helicopter made a hard landing while executing an autorotation after a loss of engine power in-flight. The pilot fueled the helicopter with automotive fuel from cans in the morning prior to practicing in the traffic pattern for 1 hour at Phoenix Regional Airport. He landed, refueled from the same fuel source he had in the morning, and departed to Chandler. About 5 minutes into the flight, the pilot experienced a decrease in engine power and a drop in rotor rpm every time he raised the collective. He selected a landing site and chose to make an emergency landing. The pilot began an autorotation at about 1,000 feet above ground level and maneuvered toward his landing area, which was a water retention basin surrounded by trees. After just clearing the trees, and about 30 feet off the ground, he began a flare and touched down, stopping the helicopter within 20 feet. He exited the helicopter and noticed he had lost a tail rotor blade and the tail boom had a stress wrinkle in it. The pilot towed the helicopter back to his home and discovered rust and water in a fuel sample taken from the aircraft and the containers used to refuel the helicopter.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.