Better Burn Llc/Startube Div EXEC 162F accident near Chandler, Arizona, April 16, 2009
On April 16, 2009 at about 3:22 pm local time, a Better Burn Llc/Startube Div EXEC 162F (helicopter), registered N333ST, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Chandler, Arizona (Chandler Municipal Arpt airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight and delay in taking remedial action to prevent the helicopter from touching down while drifting. Contributing to the accident was the design of the skid shoes.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 16, 2009 · about 3:22 pm local time
- Place
- Chandler, Arizona · Chandler Municipal Arpt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Better Burn Llc/Startube Div EXEC 162F
- Registration
- N333ST · registry record · serial 6755
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor said the student was practicing a stable hover at 2 to 3 feet altitude, when the helicopter descended with a slight drift to the right. The student said he made a correction and thought the helicopter might touch the ground and lift up again. When the right skid contacted the taxiway, the right rear skid shoe stuck in the asphalt surface and the aircraft rolled right, pivoting on the right skid. The flight instructor immediately bottomed the collective and pushed the cyclic left; however, the aircraft continued to roll onto its right side. Subsequently, the tail boom was bent up and partially separated, the windscreen structure was broken, the main rotor blades were damaged, and the fuselage was wrinkled. The flight instructor said the helicopter belonged to Rotorway, the kit manufacturer, and was used for factory flight training. The company had equipped the skids with prototype skid shoes approximately 10 inches in length that were flat and extended laterally beyond the skids. When the aircraft touched the ground with lateral movement, the aft right skid shoe dug into the asphalt causing the aircraft to roll right. The flight instructor said that after this accident, the company modified the skid shoe design by rounding the shoes to conform to the landing skids.
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
- Dynamic rollover during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › (general) › Design
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 592 hours in all; 270 in this make and model; 507 as pilot in command; 263 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 15, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 100 hours in all; 6 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 495 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, March 24, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotorway 162F (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Rotorway International
The flight
- Departed from: P19 Chandler AZ at 2:10 pm
- Destination: P19 Chandler AZ
- Flight plan: not recorded
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 2:47 pm from CHD, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 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.