Amateur-built ROTORWAY EXEC 162F accident near Seadrift, Texas, January 31, 2015
On January 31, 2015 at about 8:45 pm local time, a 2008 amateur-built ROTORWAY EXEC 162F (helicopter), registered N162RB, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Seadrift, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A fault in the No. 1 engine control module, which disabled the ignition system and resulted in the engine losing power; during the subsequent autorotation, the main rotor rpm was further reduced just before touchdown, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 31, 2015 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Seadrift, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ROTORWAY EXEC 162F NO SERIES, built 2008
- Registration
- N162RB · no longer on the register · serial 6873
- 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 the experimental, amateur-built helicopter was at 300 ft above ground level (agl) when the low rotor rpm horn sounded and the engine lost power. The pilot entered an autorotation and arrested the descent rate. When the helicopter was about 8 ft agl over tall grass, the main rotor speed further decelerated. The helicopter landed hard while it was still moving forward at high speed, which resulted in the landing gear separating. The engine had been modified with a full authority digital electronic control (FADEC) system. Following the accident, the pilot tested the FADEC system and determined that the loss of engine power was caused by a fault in the No. 1 engine control module (ECM); every time the No. 1 ECM was turned on, the engine would quit; however, if the No. 1 ECM was turned off and the No. 2 ECM was turned on, the engine would operate. Although the helicopter was equipped with two ECMs, which should have provided redundant operation, it was determined that a single-point failure of the No. 1 ECM resulted in the engine failure.
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 (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Autorotation Off-field or emergency landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Electrical power system › DC generation system › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 350 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 1, 2014; 140 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,430 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotorway RI 162F (piston); 140 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Port Lavaca TX at 8:20 pm
- Destination: NONE Port Lavaca TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,900 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 8:45 pm from KPKV, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on April 28, 2015. 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's Accident Report and Related E-mails | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Google Earth View of Accident Site, Seadrift, Tx | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 1 - N162RB in Tall Grass at the Accident Site | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 2 - Closer View Shows Bent Rotor Blades and Buckled Skids | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo 3 - Rear View of Helicopter and Severed Tail Rotor Assembly | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photo 4 - Fadec Ignition System with the Two Ecms | 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.
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.