D & D Aircraft ROTORWAY EXEC accident near Massillon, Ohio, April 23, 2011
On April 23, 2011 at about 7:41 pm local time, a D & D Aircraft ROTORWAY EXEC (helicopter), an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N614S, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Massillon, Ohio. 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 excessive wear on the secondary shaft, from the inner bearing race, which resulted in the transmission clutch disengagement and a loss of power to the rotor system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 23, 2011 · about 7:41 pm local time
- Place
- Massillon, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- D & D Aircraft ROTORWAY EXEC, amateur-built
- Registration
- N614S · registry record · serial 3298
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during cruise flight the engine speed increased to a high rpm and power was no longer being transmitted to the rotor system. He initiated an autorotation to a sloping, plowed field that was soft due to recent rain. The tail struck the ground during the landing flare and the main rotor blades contacted the tailboom. Postaccident inspection of the helicopter revealed the inner race of the bearing on the secondary shaft, located above the transmission clutch, was worn into the shaft, which most likely caused the clutch to disengage. This prevented the engine power from being translated to the main rotor. The cause of the wear was undetermined, and the secondary shaft was designed by the pilot.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Main rotor drive › (general) › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 516 hours in all; 73 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 384 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 19, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 40 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, February 19, 2011; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotorway RW152 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2D7 Beach City OH at 7:15 pm
- Destination: Massillon OH
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 21 knots, gusting 28
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,600 ft; scat at 2,800 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 7:51 pm from CAK, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.