Butler Raymond ROTORWAY EXEC 162F N162RB

Summary

On 31 January 2015 at about 20:45 local time, a Butler Raymond ROTORWAY EXEC 162F registered N162RB, operated by Butler William Raymond, was involved in an accident near Seadrift, Texas, United States. 2 people were 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

31 January 2015 at 20:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Seadrift, Texas, United States

Coordinates

28.5217, -96.7983

Aircraft

Butler Raymond ROTORWAY EXEC 162F

Registration

N162RB

Category

Helicopter

Year built

2008

Engines

1

Operator

Butler William Raymond

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Port Lavaca → Port Lavaca

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN15LA132

Nobody was injured.

A fault in the No. 1 engine control module, which disabled the ignition system and resulted in the engine losing power; during the subsequent autorotation, the main rotor rpm was further reduced just before touchdown, which resulted in a hard landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that the experimental, amateur-built helicopter was at 300 ft above ground level (agl) when the low rotor rpm horn sounded and the engine lost power. The pilot entered an autorotation and arrested the descent rate. When the helicopter was about 8 ft agl over tall grass, the main rotor speed further decelerated. The helicopter landed hard while it was still moving forward at high speed, which resulted in the landing gear separating. The engine had been modified with a full authority digital electronic control (FADEC) system. Following the accident, the pilot tested the FADEC system and determined that the loss of engine power was caused by a fault in the No. 1 engine control module (ECM); every time the No. 1 ECM was turned on, the engine would quit; however, if the No. 1 ECM was turned off and the No. 2 ECM was turned on, the engine would operate. Although the helicopter was equipped with two ECMs, which should have provided redundant operation, it was determined that a single-point failure of the No. 1 ECM resulted in the engine failure.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.