Amateur-built EXEC 162F accident near Milan, New Hampshire, October 30, 1999
On October 30, 1999 at about 7:30 pm local time, a amateur-built EXEC 162F (helicopter), registered N228CH, was destroyed in an accident near Milan, New Hampshire. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain proper rotor rpm while maneuvering, which resulted in main rotor blade flapping, and its subsequent impact with the tail boom. A factor was the pilot's lack of experience in maneuvering flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 30, 1999 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Milan, New Hampshire
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built EXEC 162F
- Registration
- N228CH · no longer on the register · serial 6318
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After transiting to an area about 8 miles from its departure point, the homebuilt helicopter was observed making a low pass along a 5-mile trail. It then flew to a point about midway along the trail, where trail maintenance was taking place, and began maneuvering about 50 feet, over 50-foot trees. It entered a steep turn, there was a loud 'bang', and the helicopter descended almost vertically into the woods. The main wreckage was found upside down, and the tail boom was located about 150 feet away. There were paint transfer marks where the tail boom had separated, which matched the paint on the end of a main rotor blade. That blade exhibited downward bending near its inboard end, and upward bending near its outboard end. The blade's leading edge had impact marks and paint transfer marks from the tail boom. There was no evidence of in-flight blade failure or separation. Fuel was found onboard the helicopter, and the engine exhibited scoring marks consistent with a sudden stoppage. The student pilot had 64 hours of flight time, and had been to the kit manufacturer's facility three times for training. He had been endorsed for hovering flight, flight through translational lift and quickstops, provided he remained within 35 feet of the ground at all times. He had previously had an accident while hovering the helicopter. Another builder/pilot, who had flown with the student pilot, stated that his 'ability to maintain proper rotor rpm was a problem.' An onboard recording of throttle positions revealed that the throttle had been opened to 29 to 32 percent, for the first 4, of the last 5 minutes of flight, consistent with the helicopter transiting the area. From 56 seconds, until 6 seconds prior to the last recording, the throttle position was approximately 38 to 40 percent, consistent with the use of added power for maneuvering over the trees. Three seconds before the last recording, the throttle had been closed to 7 percent, before it was returned to 38 percent for the last two seconds of the recording.
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: student
- Flight time: 65 hours in all; 52 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 51 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotorway RI 162F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Berlin NH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 9,500 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:52 pm from BML, 8 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 N228CH 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.