Aviation Crash Map

Parker ROTORWAY 162F N311RM

16 May 2001 · Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States · No injuries

Summary

On 16 May 2001 at about 16:10 local time, a Parker ROTORWAY 162F registered N311RM was involved in an accident near Minneapolis, Minnesota, 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.

The record

Date
at 16:10
Classification
Accident
Location
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Coordinates
45.1897, -93.5492
Aircraft
Parker ROTORWAY 162F
Registration
N311RM
Category
Helicopter
Engines
1
Operator
Not recorded
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Personal
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Rogers → Unknown
Aircraft damage
Substantial
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
CHI01LA141

People

Nobody was injured.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
1 0 0 0 1

Probable cause

The tail rotor drive belt coming off in cruise flight and it not being possible for the student pilot to maintain aircraft control during the emergency landing attempt. Factors relating to the accident were the loose bearing in the secondary drive unit to the tail rotor, the attempted autorotation and run on landing by the student pilot, and the low altitude.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot said that he was returning to Rogers, Minnesota, when he heard a "pop" and then the helicopter yawed left. The student pilot said that he lost pedal control and entered a turning autorotation. He said that at approximately 35 feet above the ground, he introduced some aft cyclic in an attempt to perform a run on landing. He said that the helicopter "spun violently to [the] right". The student pilot said he added full left [control pedal] and down cyclic. The helicopter dropped to the ground. An examination of the helicopter's belt drive system revealed that the lower shaft bearing in the secondary drive unit to the tail rotor was loose and the tail rotor drive belt had come off.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other Parker ROTORWAY accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
17 Jun 1998 Parker ROTORWAY 162-F
N311RM
Manchester, Indiana, United States - Minor injuries -
29 May 1994 Parker ROTORWAY EXEC 90
N78435
Fallbrook, California, United States Zane T. Parker Fatal 1

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
9 Sep 2001 Cessna 150M
N6142K
South St. Paul, Minnesota, United States - No injuries -
1 May 2001 Douglas DC-9-31
N9333
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States - Minor injuries -
10 Nov 2001 Beechcraft V35
N4890J
Mounds View, Minnesota, United States - Serious injuries -
15 Jul 2001 Schweizer 269C
N61434
Walker, Minnesota, United States Northern Flights Helicopter Service, Inc. Minor injuries -
22 Jul 2001 Grumman-Schweizer G-164A
N5398
Dodge Center, Minnesota, United States - No injuries -
23 Jul 2001 Piper PA-38-112
N23475
Tracy, Minnesota, United States Matthew Hagen Sederstrom No injuries -

All 170,864 records in United States