Kearsley EXEC 162F N520DK

Summary

On 22 March 2006 at about 22:30 local time, a Kearsley EXEC 162F registered N520DK was involved in an accident near Morgan, Utah, United States. 2 people were 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

22 March 2006 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Morgan, Utah, United States

Coordinates

41.0133, -111.6233

Aircraft

Kearsley EXEC 162F

Registration

N520DK

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Morgan → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA06CA069

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadequate in-flight decision to attempt to hover out of ground effect above the kit manufacturers published recommendations. A factor was mountainous terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot said that he departed from his home, which is at approximately 5,000 feet elevation. He said that he came to a hover at approximately 10 feet above a ridge line to look at a herd of elk. He said he had an estimated 10 knot tail-wind, which reduced the helicopter's tail rotor effectiveness. The pilot said that the helicopter settled into some brush on the side of the ridge, and rolled onto its left side. The helicopter came to rest at an elevation of 7,000 feet. The maximum hover out of ground effect altitude, published by RotorWay International, for the Exec 162F, is 5,000 feet.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.