Amateur-built 162F accident near Gonzales, Texas, May 24, 2008
On May 24, 2008 at about 7:30 pm local time, a amateur-built 162F (helicopter), registered N771SS, was destroyed in an accident during initial climb near Gonzales, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the main rotor drive belt for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 24, 2008 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Gonzales, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built 162F
- Registration
- N771SS · registry record · serial 6174
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot and his passenger had just departed in a single-engine experimental helicopter when he heard a "loud pop" followed by a loss of engine power. The pilot entered an autorotation from an altitude of 75 feet and flared at approximately 40 feet above the ground to avoid hitting trees. The helicopter landed hard in a grass field and the skids were spread upon impact. The two occupants were able to deplane before the engine exhaust caught the surrounding grass on fire, and subsequently destroyed the helicopter. The pilot reported that the main drive belt, which he had been recently replaced, had failed. The helicopter wreckage was examined by an FAA inspector; however, the drive belt could not be located and it was assumed to have been destroyed in the post-impact fire.
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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during initial climb defining event
- Hard landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Main rotor drive › (general) › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 111 hours in all; 21 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotorway 162F (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: T20 Gonzales TX
- Destination: Gonzales TX
- 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.