Summary
On October 10, 2008, a Holland Rotorway 162F (N162NJ) was involved in an accident near Rutland, SD. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury, with 1 person uninjured out of 2 aboard. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: 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.
The helicopter pilot reported that during the local area flight he heard "loud noises" behind the cockpit which was 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.
This accident is documented in NTSB report CEN09CA026. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N162NJ.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
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.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The helicopter pilot reported that during the local area flight he heard "loud noises" behind the cockpit which was 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 post-accident inspection of the helicopter revealed that one of the transmission drive belts had failed and another belt had separated from its pulley assembly.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN09CA026