Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Greensboro, North Carolina 27405
Thursday, March 27, 2003 18:00 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
According to the pilot, he flew around the airstrip for approximately 45 minutes. After several passes over the airstrip, the pilot reported he received an electronic control unit (ECU) failure indication light. When the engine lost power, the pilot entered an autorotation. During the touchdown phase of the autorotation, the helicopter rolled over on the left side. During the examination of the helicopter no fuel was found in the fuel tanks or at the accident site. The ECU's were sent to be bench tested. The test revealed, the last 30 seconds of the flight indicated an increase in the throttle position with a corresponding decrease of engine RPM, with a rapid cycling during the final 12 seconds prior to the engine completely shutting down. The data retrieved from the ECUs revealed the flight prior to the accident lasted 10 minutes with a three-minute ground run. The accident flight was approximately 57 minutes. The pilot stated that the helicopter fuel tank capacity is 14 gallons, and can fly for 2 hours or 180 miles with full fuel. According to the pilot, the helicopter departed with 14 gallons of automotive fuel.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning of fuel required for flight which resulted in fuel exhaustion, and a complete loss of engine power followed by a forced landing, and a dynamic rollover during the autorotative touchdown.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/27/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1800 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Greensboro |
| Event State | NORTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 27405 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | Yes |
| Event Location Latitude | 360548N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0795601W |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1754 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GSO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 926 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 700 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 100 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.06 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1371 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 17380 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Communication |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 27 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1930 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 30 2005 6:20AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Greensboro FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N92AL |
| NTSB Number | ATL03LA072 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Rotorway |
| Aircraft Model | 162F |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 6619 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1500 |
| 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 | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 16 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Raymond A. Land |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3502 Wilsonwood Road |
| Aircraft Owner City | Greensboro |
| Aircraft Owner State | NC |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 27405 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | GSO |
| Departure City | GREENSBORO |
| Departure State | NC |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1715 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| 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 | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 3 2003 10:08AM |
| User who most recently changed record | POWP |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |