Holland ROTORWAY 162F N162NJ
10 October 2008 · Rutland, South Dakota, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 10 October 2008 at about 23:50 local time, a Holland ROTORWAY 162F registered N162NJ was involved in an accident near Rutland, South Dakota, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 23:50
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Rutland, South Dakota, United States
- Coordinates
- 44.0939, -96.9672
- Aircraft
- Holland ROTORWAY 162F
- Registration
- N162NJ
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Wentworth → Wentworth
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Dusk
- NTSB number
- CEN09CA026
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Probable cause
The loss of torque due to a failure of a transmission drivebelt and the pilot's delayed landing flare during the autorotation. Contributing to the accident was the dusk light condition and the corn crop.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The helicopter pilot reported that during the local area flight he heard "loud noises" behind the cockpit that were followed by a loss of torque to the rotor system. He immediately initiated an autorotation into a cornfield. The tailboom stinger contacted the ground during the landing flare, which pushed the tailboom up into the path of the main rotor system. The helicopter then landed hard and rolled over onto its right side. The pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented if he had initiated his flare about two feet higher, but at the time he was unsure of his altitude above the ground due to the corn crop and the dusk light condition. A postaccident inspection of the helicopter revealed that one of the transmission drive belts had failed and another belt had separated from its pulley assembly.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Apr 2008 | Veldhuizen HIGHLANDER | Onida, South Dakota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Dec 2008 | Cessna 140 | Highmore, South Dakota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Aug 2008 | Air Tractor 301 | Herreid, South Dakota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 18 Apr 2008 | Piper PA-32-260 | Vermillion, South Dakota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 3 Aug 2008 | Piper PA-18-150 | Wall, South Dakota, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 4 Aug 2008 | Cessna 150L | Watertown, South Dakota, United States | Mitchell S. Pratt | Minor injuries | - |