Robbins C/Robbins J ROTORWAY EXEC 162F N31XR
4 July 2025 · Towanda, Pennsylvania, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 4 July 2025 at about 21:10 local time, a Robbins C/Robbins J ROTORWAY EXEC 162F registered N31XR was involved in an accident near Towanda, Pennsylvania, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 21:10
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Towanda, Pennsylvania, United States
- Coordinates
- 41.0000, -76.0000
- Aircraft
- Robbins C/Robbins J ROTORWAY EXEC 162F
- Registration
- N31XR
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 2007
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Troy → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA25LA259
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
An in-flight fire for reasons that could not be determined due to the extent of fire damage.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
According to the pilot, about 20 minutes into a local flight, he observed smoke entering the cockpit of the experimental amateur-built helicopter while he was executing a turn. The pilot initiated a precautionary autorotation to a hayfield. After landing, he observed flames emanating from the lower aft left side of the fuselage, which quickly intensified. The pilot exited the helicopter and contacted emergency services. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector who responded to the accident site reported that the helicopter had been largely consumed by the fire. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the entire fuel system had been destroyed. A review of maintenance records indicated that both fuel lines to the fuel pumps had been replaced 13 flight hours before the accident due to a low fuel pressure anomaly. Due to the extent of the fire damage, the origin of the fire could not be determined.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Sep 2025 | Cessna 172 | Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Maule M7 | Birdsboro, Pennsylvania, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 Dec 2025 | Cirrus SR22 | Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Jul 2025 | Piper PA46 | Elysburg, Pennsylvania, United States | PAD Aviation LLC | No injuries | - |
| 20 Jul 2025 | Piper PA46-500TP | Lititz, Pennsylvania, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 28 Sep 2025 | McCaa Robert T AVID/KITFOX FLYER | Oakland, Pennsylvania, United States | - | No injuries | - |