Amateur-built EXEC 162F accident near Herisau, Ch, August 24, 2019
On August 24, 2019 at about 2:00 pm local time, a amateur-built EXEC 162F (helicopter), registered HBYKJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Herisau. It was flown under rules the NTSB did not record. 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 24, 2019 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Herisau, Switzerland · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built EXEC 162F Undesignat
- Registration
- HBYKJ · no longer on the register · serial 6468
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · rules the NTSB did not record
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On August 24, 2019, about 1400 universal coordinated time, a Rotorway Exec 162F helicopter, Swiss registration HB-YKJ, was destroyed when it crashed in a meadow during an autorotation and caught fire, about 3 miles south of Herisau, Switzerland. The pilot was fatally injured, and the passenger sustained serious injuries. The accident investigation is under the jurisdiction and control of the government of Switzerland. This report is for information purposes only and contains only information released by or obtained from the Swiss Transport Investigation Safety Board (STSB). The NTSB has appointed a U.S. Accredited Representative to assist the STSB investigation under the provisions of ICAO Annex 13. Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from: Swiss Transport Investigation Safety Board (STSB) 3003 Bern, Switzerland Tel. +41 58 466 80 79 Fax +41 58 466 33 01 Website: https://www.stsb.admin.ch
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
- Autorotation Loss of control in flight defining event
Pilot
No details recorded.
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,499 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Fire on the ground
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check 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.