Amateur-built Exec 162F accident near Kalkaska, Michigan, April 16, 2006
On April 16, 2006 at about 2:30 pm local time, a amateur-built Exec 162F (helicopter), registered N42996, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kalkaska, Michigan. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The compensation for wind conditions not performed by the pilot during hover. An additional cause was the tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 16, 2006 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Kalkaska, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Exec 162F
- Registration
- N42996 · no longer on the register · serial 6444
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The experimental amauter-built helicopter impacted terrain when a reported wind gust raised the tail and pushed the helicopter forward resulting in a loss of control and a hard landing. The helicopter was piloted by a student pilot who did not have a current solo endorsement.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 79 hours in all; 79 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Unknown 162-F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Kalkaska MI
- Destination: PVT Grand Rapids MI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N42996 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.