Summary
On September 16, 2017, a Gaddis Michael EXEC 162 F (N123XZ) was involved in an incident near Plymouth, IN. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: A failure of the drive belt for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
On September 16, 2017, about 1715 eastern daylight time, an amateur-built Exec 162-F helicopter, N123XZ, performed a forced landing to a field near Plymouth, Indiana. The pilot and passenger were not injured, and the helicopter was substantially damaged. The helicopter was registered to North Indiana Rotor LLC and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated without a flight plan. The local flight departed from Plymouth Municipal Airport (C65), Plymouth, Indiana.The pilot reported that while approaching the airport, the helicopter's engine rpm increased, and the rotor rpm decayed.
This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN17LA365. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N123XZ.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
A failure of the drive belt for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On September 16, 2017, about 1715 eastern daylight time, an amateur-built Exec 162-F helicopter, N123XZ, performed a forced landing to a field near Plymouth, Indiana. The pilot and passenger were not injured, and the helicopter was substantially damaged. The helicopter was registered to North Indiana Rotor LLC and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated without a flight plan. The local flight departed from Plymouth Municipal Airport (C65), Plymouth, Indiana.The pilot reported that while approaching the airport, the helicopter's engine rpm increased, and the rotor rpm decayed. Unable to maintain altitude, the pilot conducted an autorotation to a field. The helicopter landed hard, the skids bent, and the tail boom buckled, resulting in substantial damage.
An examination of the helicopter by the responding Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the helicopter had a Pro Drive system driving the main rotor blades. The main rotor drive belt/cog belt began losing teeth resulting in a failure of the belt to drive the main rotor blades. The Goodyear Falcon PD belt had recently been installed, about 3.5 hours prior to the accident.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN17LA365