Keener ROTORWAY/EXEC N4JK

Summary

On 6 August 1989 at about 14:49 local time, a Keener ROTORWAY/EXEC registered N4JK was involved in an accident near Circleville, Ohio, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 August 1989 at 14:49

Classification

Accident

Location

Circleville, Ohio, United States

Coordinates

39.5990, -82.9294

Aircraft

Keener ROTORWAY/EXEC

Registration

N4JK

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Chillicothe → Chillicothe

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI89DEK02

Nobody was injured.

MATERIAL FAILURE OF AN OIL LINE ALLOWING OIL TO ESCAPE AND IGNITE AS IT TOUCHED HOT EXHAUST MANIFOLD SURFACES.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT OF THE ACCIDENT HELICOPTER SMELLED AND SAW SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT, AND NOTED A LOW OIL PRESSURE INDICATION DURING CRUISE FLIGHT. THE PILOT PERFORMED AN AUTOROTATION IN A FIELD. AFTER LANDING, FLAMES WERE OBSERVED IN THE AREA OF THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. TWO HANDHELD FIRE EXTINGUISHERS WERE EXPENDED ON THE FLAMES, BUT EFFORTS TO PUT OUT THE FIRE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL AND THE HELCIOPTER WAS DESTROYED. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE DETERMINED THAT OIL MOST PROBABLY WAS LEAKING FROM A SPLIT IN THE OIL PRESSURE LINE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.