Amateur-built Rotorway Exec 162F accident near Camarillo, California, March 25, 2007
On March 25, 2007 at about 3:55 pm local time, a amateur-built Rotorway Exec 162F (helicopter), registered N496SB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Camarillo, California (Camarillo 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 maintain main rotor RPM resulting in an uncontrolled descent to a hard landing. A contributing factor was his lack of experience in make and model of aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 25, 2007 · about 3:55 pm local time
- Place
- Camarillo, California · Camarillo Airport · 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 162F
- Registration
- N496SB · registry record · serial 6992
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that this was his first solo flight in this make and model helicopter. He said he did weight and balance calculations before performing a preflight inspection of the aircraft. The pilot said that he performed a ground taxi, and hovered for 5 to 10 minutes, with pedal turns, to check the control capability. He flew to an open field and noted a slight drift to the left. He returned to the airport and made a normal approach to the helipad followed by a normal flare. The aircraft then started to drift to the left and would not correct with right cyclic; while trying to correct the left drift with right cyclic, the cyclic became limited by his leg and the confines of the cockpit. During an attempted go around, the pilot said that his airspeed had decreased to zero, and his rotor RPM had dropped. He said the helicopter began to descend and landed hard on the left forward skid. Subsequently the helicopter rolled onto its left 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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,303 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 2,100 as pilot in command; 100 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 69 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, May 1, 2006; 69 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotorway Exec 162F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CMA Camarillo CA at 3:00 pm
- Destination: CMA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,200 ft; ovct at 1,200 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from CMA
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 N496SB 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.