N426DM

On July 4, 2024, about 1043 eastern daylight time, a Rotorway 162 F helicopter, N426DM, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Maybee, Michigan. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot reported that he conducted a preflight on the helicopter and taxied for takeoff. No problems were noted on the preflight. The pilot brought the helicopter into a hover for takeoff and all systems checked normal, and the pilot took off and climbed to about 1,800 ft and flew locally for about 1 hour with no problems. Nearing the end of the flight, the pilot noticed that the engine and rotor rpms started to drop. After he adjusted the collective and throttle, the rotor RPMs surged, and engine RPMs fluctuated.

The pilot decided to execute an autorotation to a grass covered field. As the helicopter descended toward the field, the pilot adjusted the cyclic and collective to keep the airspeed at 70 knots, and rotor RPM about 100%. As the helicopter approached the field, the pilot started to flare helicopter to arrest the forward momentum. The helicopter contacted the ground, and the skids dug into soft soil. After the tailboom contacted the ground, the helicopter nosed forward, spun about 120 degrees, and came to rest upright, which resulted in substantial damage to the main rotor blades, fuselage, and the tailboom. The pilot and the passenger exited the helicopter uninjured.