Amateur-built ROTORWAY accident near Waxahachie, Texas, June 27, 2009
On June 27, 2009 at about 4:45 pm local time, a amateur-built ROTORWAY (helicopter), registered N1934, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Waxahachie, Texas (Mid-Way Regional Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to control his rate of descent during autorotation, which required an aggressive recovery maneuver and resulted in a sudden loss of tail rotor effectiveness.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 27, 2009 · about 4:45 pm local time · cases in 2009
- Place
- Waxahachie, Texas · Mid-Way Regional Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ROTORWAY 162 F
- Registration
- N1934 · registry record · serial 6294
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was conducting a practice 180-degree power recovery autorotation in a helicopter with a clockwise rotating main rotor with a right crosswind of three knots. The pilot said he had a higher than expected rate of descent as he was flaring at zero airspeed and attempting a power recovery to terminate at a skid height of approximately 15 feet above ground level. Suddenly, and without warning the pilot lost directional control, the helicopter began to spin nose left, and his application of full right pedal had no effect. The pilot said he tried to keep the helicopter level while it was spinning, but it eventually impacted on the left side of the taxiway. The helicopter was substantially damaged when the left skid gear partially collapsed and the airframe and tail boom buckled. During the impact sequence the main rotor blades struck the tail boom and the main rotor blades and tail rotor blades struck the ground. An on-scene investigation by an FAA maintenance inspector confirmed flight control continuity and confirmed no apparent damage to the tail rotor drive belts. There was no post-crash fire and the pilot received minor injuries.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Abrupt maneuver during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Autorotation Loss of tail rotor effectiveness defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
- Landing gear collapse during post (impact)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Tail rotor › (general) › Capability exceeded
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent rate › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 100 hours in all; 90 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 60 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 17, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 197 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, January 17, 2009; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotorway RI 162F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KJWY Waxahachie TX at 4:40 pm
- Destination: KJWY Waxahachie TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 4,999 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 4:44 pm from KJWY, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 20, 2009. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Reports from Federal Agencies - FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N1934 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Engine: Rotorway RI 162F 70 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Mid-Way Regional · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,064 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,966 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN09CA394.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.