Amateur-built 162F accident near Cartersville, Georgia, March 9, 2008
On March 9, 2008 at about 9:00 pm local time, a amateur-built 162F (helicopter), registered N831MS, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Cartersville, Georgia (Cartersville 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 owner/builder's improper installation of the foot pedal scissor beam, which resulted in its failure during hover flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 9, 2008 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Cartersville, Georgia · Cartersville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built 162F
- Registration
- N831MS · registry record · serial 6887
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The owner/builder of the Rotorway 162F was performing pedal turns while conducting initial flight tests. During a turn the left pedal "popped" and "fell away." He immediately dropped the collective and landed hard, causing significant damage to the tail boom. He inspected the helicopter and discovered the foot pedal scissor beam had pulled away from its retaining bolt. The scissor beam was designed to be sandwiched between two nylon pivot bushings, and retained by an aluminum bushing and bolt. During the construction phase he inadvertently mounted the aluminum bushing on the inside of the scissor beam, allowing the beam to be pulled past the mounting bolt when pressure was applied.
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
- Off-field or emergency landing during maneuvering (hover)
- Hard landing during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Rotorcraft flight control › Tail rotor control system › Failure
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Owner/builder
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 275 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 165 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, January 1, 2008; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotorway RI162F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VPC Cartersville GA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.36 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from VPC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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 N831MS 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.