Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Eureka, Illinois 61530
Friday, July 30, 2004 19:00 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The experimental amateur-built helicopter sustained substantial damage on impact with terrain and crops during a forced landing, following an in-flight loss of engine power. The pilot and passenger were uninjured. The pilot stated, "Established level cruise at 1000 MSL and 70 mph. Engine stopped without warning. Executed an auto rotate into corn field below. As main rotors entered corn the aircraft yawed left and stopped partially tipped over on left side. No injuries." An inspection of the wreckage revealed that the high-tension wire from the ignition coil was detached. The helicopter was not modified with the kit manufacturer's service bulletin for its conversion to a dual ignition system.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The in-flight loss of engine power due to the disconnection of the high tension wire from its ignition coil during cruise flight and the unsuitable terrain the pilot encountered during his forced landing. A factor was the low altitude the helicopter was cruising at when the power loss occured.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/30/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1900 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Eureka |
| Event State | ILLINOIS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 61530 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 404100N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0891628W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | -- |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1904 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 330 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | C75 |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 568 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 20 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 4300 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.84 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | KC75 290004Z AUTO 17005KT 10SM CLR 25/15 A3000 RMK |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 16242 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 1 1983 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1245 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 29 2004 1:02PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Springfield, IL FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N777TJ |
| NTSB Number | CHI04CA206 |
| 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 | Tjerrild |
| Aircraft Model | Rotorway Exec |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3032 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| 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 | Mar 16 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 50 |
| Airframe Hours | 208 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Brad Deckert |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 610 South Main |
| Aircraft Owner City | Eureka |
| Aircraft Owner State | IL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 61530 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Bradley Alan Deckert |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 610 South Main |
| Operator City | Eureka |
| Operator State | IL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 61530 |
| 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 | -- |
| Departure City | Eureka |
| Departure State | IL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| 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 | Aug 11 2004 11:31AM |
| User who most recently changed record | DINC |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |