Childs Michael A ROTORWAY EXEC 162-F N8006A

Summary

On 27 November 2022 at about 11:30 local time, a Childs Michael A ROTORWAY EXEC 162-F registered N8006A was involved in an accident near Titusville, Florida, 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

27 November 2022 at 11:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Titusville, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Space Coast Regional (TIX)

Coordinates

28.5148, -80.7992

Aircraft

Childs Michael A ROTORWAY EXEC 162-F

Registration

N8006A

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA23LA073

Nobody was injured.

A failure of the No. 4 exhaust valve spring retainer, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor, who was also the owner of the experimental amateur-built helicopter, said that shortly after takeoff, while about 150 ft above ground level, the helicopter’s engine lost partial power with “severe backfiring.” He declared an emergency, turned back to the airport, and landed on a grassy area. Upon touchdown, the helicopter’s front left skid dug into the grass and the helicopter rolled over. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed the No. 4 exhaust valve spring retainer was missing. The engine maintenance manual required inspection of the valve train system, including the spring retainer, every 25 hours. A review of the engine maintenance logbook revealed that the flight instructor/owner had performed the 25-hour inspection about 8.8 hours before the accident. The reason for the separation of the valve spring retainer was not determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.