Amateur-built ROTORWAY accident near Lake Charles, Louisiana, February 10, 1990
On February 10, 1990 at about 8:00 pm local time, a amateur-built ROTORWAY (helicopter), registered N850JR, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake Charles, Louisiana. 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
FAILURE OF THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE BELT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 10, 1990 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Charles, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ROTORWAY
- Registration
- N850JR · no longer on the register · serial 3122
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER THE HELICOPTER LEVELED OFF FOR CRUISE, THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE BELT FAILED. THE PILOT SAID IT STARTED TO SPIN OUT OF CONTROL, BUT THAT HE WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL WITH THE A 1,500 FPM RATE OF DESCENT. HE SAID THAT EACH TIME HE TRIED TO INCREASE THE MAIN ROTOR RPM, THE HELICOPTER WOULD SPIN AGAIN. AS THE HELICOPTER APPROACHED GROUND LEVEL, HE ADDED POWER AND INCREASED THE COLLECTIVE, AND THE HELICOPTER STARTED TO SPIN, SO HE CHOPPED POWER TO SLOW THE SPIN, AND THEN LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE. AT TOUCHDOWN, THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER ON ITS SIDE.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 209 hours in all; 154 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 190 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 15, 1989; 47 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotorway RW152D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Iowa LA at 7:55 pm
- Destination: NONE Lake Charles LA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 pm from LCH, 117 miles away
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.
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.