Amateur-built ROTORWAY EXEC 90 accident near Westminster, Maryland, September 21, 1997
On September 21, 1997 at about 6:45 pm local time, a amateur-built ROTORWAY EXEC 90 (helicopter), registered N94CJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Westminster, Maryland (Carroll County Regional 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 loss of power due to carburetor icing. A factor to this accident was the carburetor heat was not accessible from within the cockpit.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 21, 1997 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Westminster, Maryland · Carroll County Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ROTORWAY EXEC 90 ROTORWAY E
- Registration
- N94CJ · no longer on the register · serial 5043
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot remained in the traffic pattern for 40 minutes in his homebuilt helicopter, performing takeoffs and landings. At 200 feet on final approach with 19 inches of manifold pressure set, the engine stopped running. During the forced landing, the pilot maneuvered to avoid an embankment and impacted the ground damaging the tail boom and rotor blades. Examination of the engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions. The temperature/dew point was: 57 degrees Fahrenheit and 38 degrees Fahrenheit, respectively. Utilizing the 'Icing Probability Curves' charts, these temperatures combined with a glide power setting, placed the carburetor within the serious icing range. Examination of the helicopter revealed that the carburetor heat was preset prior to the flight and not accessible from inside the cockpit. After the accident, the FAA recommended to the manufacturer that a switch be placed in the cockpit. The manufacturer completed a modification allowing control of the carburetor heat from inside the cabin.
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: 762 hours in all; 201 in this make and model; 710 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 26 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 28, 1997; 26 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,425 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotorway RI-162 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: W54 at 6:05 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 5,100 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,100 ft; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:45 pm from W54
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.