Ken Seright ROTORWAY EXEC 162F N711KN

Summary

On 29 October 1996 at about 11:37 local time, a Ken Seright ROTORWAY EXEC 162F registered N711KN was involved in an accident near Haines, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 October 1996 at 11:37

Classification

Accident

Location

Haines, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

59.1598, -135.8606

Aircraft

Ken Seright ROTORWAY EXEC 162F

Registration

N711KN

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Juneau

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC97LA005

Nobody was injured.

a leaking coolant hose that saturated the induction air filter and one electronic ignition system with coolant. Unsuitable terrain for a forced landing was a related factor in the accident.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The certificated private airplane pilot, the sole occupant & holder of a solo endorsement for helicopters, was beginning a cross-country flight in an experimental homebuilt helicopter. After takeoff, he heard a sharp bang & observed smoke in the cockpit. He declared an emergency, entered an autorotation, & selected an emergency landing area on a beach, but the area was covered with large boulders. During the flare & landing, the engine responded momentarily, when the pilot raised the collective pitch control, but the engine did not have sufficient power to hover. The helicopter sustained damage to the landing gear skids, the tail rotor, & the tail boom structure adjacent to the tail rotor assembly. An exam revealed the engine compartment was coated with engine coolant. The air intake filter was saturated with coolant, & 1 electronic ignition system was rendered inoperative from coolant saturation. A pressure test of the coolant system revealed a leak & spraying of coolant from a coolant pump manifold fitting. The pilot indicated the fitting had a rubber hose attached by a clamp, & coolant was leaking at the attach point. Also, he said the hose had been installed with excessive tension at the fitting due to it being 1/2 inch too short. He had accrued 47 hrs in helicopters.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.