Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Bowling Green, Kentucky 42103
Monday, March 23, 1992 17:07 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT HAD TOLD FRIENDS THAT HE WAS TEACHING HIMSELF TO FLY THE HELICOPTER INSTEAD OF ATTENDING THE MANUFACTURER'S TRAINING COURSE. HE ALSO REPORTED THAT HE HAD BEEN PRACTICING AUTOROTATION FROM 4000 FEET MSL AND DOING A POWER RECOVERY AT 2000 FEET MSL. ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE FELT CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO DO A POWER OFF AUTOROTATION TO THE GROUND. SHORTLY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, A WITNESS SAID HE HEARD THE HELICOPTER FLY OVER AT 600 FEET AGL HEADED SOUTH. HE HEARD TWO LOUD BANGS AND THEN HE NOTICED THE HELICOPTER SPINNING TO THE RIGHT. THE HELICOPTER DESCENDED AND CRASHED IN AN OPEN FIELD. THE INVESTIGATION DID NOT DISCLOSE EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE ROTOR RPM WHICH RESULTED IN THE INFLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE AND OVERCONFIDENCE IN HIS ABILITY.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/23/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1707 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | BOWLING GREEN |
| Event State | KENTUCKY |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 42103 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1707 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BWG |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 547 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 4 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 7 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 360 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | FAA |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2056 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 46848 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 2:47PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N191JD |
| NTSB Number | BFO92FLQ01 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | JAMES D. RIEHM |
| Aircraft Model | ROTORWAY EXEC |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | ROTORWAY E |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 544 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1425 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 15 1991 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JAMES DENNIS RIEHM |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1413 EUCLID AVENUE |
| Aircraft Owner City | BOWLING GREEN |
| Aircraft Owner State | KY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 42103 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | JAMES DENNIS RIEHM |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 1413 EUCLID AVENUE |
| Operator City | BOWLING GREEN |
| Operator State | KY |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 42103 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1638 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |