Amateur-built EXEC accident near Akron, Ohio, May 10, 2023
On May 10, 2023 at about 5:40 pm local time, a 2023 amateur-built EXEC (helicopter), registered UNREG, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Akron, Ohio (None airport). 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 non-certificated pilot’s failure to maintain control of the unregistered helicopter during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 10, 2023 · about 5:40 pm local time
- Place
- Akron, Ohio · None · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built EXEC 90, built 2023
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register · serial None
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot/owner was operating the unregistered experimental helicopter in his back yard, when he attempted to lift the skids off the ground “a few inches.” When the pilot set the helicopter back down on the ground, it rolled over onto its left side resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. The main rotor system, including the controls for the cyclic were also damaged from impact. Though the pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land, he was not certificated to act as a pilot in helicopters.
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 control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Roll over during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 718 hours in all; 654 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,285 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotorway International 152 (piston); 42 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 1:51 pm from KCAK, 7 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KCAK 101651Z VRB03KT 10SM SCT250 19/03 A3022
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on August 31, 2023. 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/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Memorandum of Record - Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Police Report | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 5 | NTSB Summary of Email - FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Investigative Photos | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under UNREG 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.