Worthington ROTORWAY N520RW
25 September 2010 · Pattison, Texas, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 25 September 2010 at about 14:25 local time, a Worthington ROTORWAY registered N520RW, operated by William S. Worthington, was involved in an accident near Pattison, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one died. 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 14:25
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Pattison, Texas, United States
- Nearest airport
- Private Helipad (NONE)
- Coordinates
- 29.8103, -96.0467
- Aircraft
- Worthington ROTORWAY
- Registration
- N520RW
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- William S. Worthington
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Brookshire → Brookshire
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN10LA558
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain main rotor rpm, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent and collision with terrain.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
A witness working in a field observed the helicopter fly overhead and heard the rotor blades making "funny noises." Shortly after, the witness lost sight of the helicopter and observed a plume of smoke. A postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed no pre-impact mechanical anomalies with the flight control system, rotor system, or engine. A technical representative of the helicopter manufacturer examined the photographs taken on scene, and reported that the main rotor blades displayed signatures consistent with a decay of the main rotor rpm.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Mar 2010 | Robinson R22 BETA II | Cotulla, Texas, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 30 Apr 2010 | Piper PA-28-140 | Houston, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 19 Jun 2010 | Piper PA-11 | Leander, Texas, United States | Campbell David | No injuries | - |
| 5 Mar 2010 | Beechcraft A36 | Slaton, Texas, United States | Gale Donald H | Minor injuries | - |
| 7 Jun 2010 | Piper PA-28R-200 | Brookshire, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Dec 2010 | Cirrus SR22 | Nacogdoches, Texas, United States | Martin Companies | Minor injuries | - |