Amateur-built Rotorway Exec 162 F accident near Overgaard, Arizona, September 13, 2002
On September 13, 2002 at about 3:10 pm local time, a amateur-built Rotorway Exec 162 F (helicopter), registered N104BJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Overgaard, Arizona (Mogollon Airpark (Pvt) airport). 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 pilot's failure to check the wind direction prior to practicing autorotations, and his misjudged flare maneuver. The tailwind was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 13, 2002 · about 3:10 pm local time
- Place
- Overgaard, Arizona · Mogollon Airpark (Pvt) · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Rotorway Exec 162 F
- Registration
- N104BJ · no longer on the register · serial 6194
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter sustained substantial damage during a hard landing and rollover after performing a practice autorotation. Due to excessive forward airspeed, the pilot aborted the maneuver. The application of the collective did not stop the descent. He committed to a full down autorotation and flared about 50 feet above ground level. As the helicopter contacted the ground, it pivoted on its right skid, and came to rest on its right side. Wind conditions were not checked prior to entering the autorotation, and he subsequently determined that he attempted it with a tailwind.
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: 1,987 hours in all; 178 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 1,987 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 10, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 178 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 15, 2002; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotorway R162F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AZ82 Overgaard AZ
- Destination: AZ82 Overgaard AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 7:45 pm from KSOW, 27 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.
Other NTSB records under N104BJ 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.