Accident Overview
On September 25, 2010, at approximately 0925 central daylight time, a Worthington Rotorway International Exec 90 helicopter, registration N520RW, impacted terrain near Pattison, Texas. The pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured, and the helicopter sustained substantial damage. The flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan had been filed. The local flight originated from the pilot's residence in Brookshire, Texas, about 0915.
According to the lead Federal Aviation Administration inspector, this was the first flight of the helicopter since the owner had performed some maintenance. The maintenance work had not been recorded in the helicopter's maintenance records.
Witness Observations
A witness working in a nearby field reported hearing and seeing the helicopter fly overhead. He described the rotor blades making "funny noises" and then observed a plume of smoke. The witness did not see the impact and did not submit a written statement.
Wreckage Examination
FAA inspectors examined the wreckage and found no anomalies with the flight control system, rotor system, or engine. Photographs of the accident site were sent to Rotorway International. A company representative stated that the main rotor blades displayed signatures consistent with a decay of the main rotor rpm.
Toxicology and Medical
The autopsy report attributed death to "massive blunt force injuries consistent with high-speed deceleration trauma." The FAA's Civil Aeromedical Institute toxicology report detected ethanol in various tissue samples, but putrefaction was noted. Diphenhydramine, an antihistamine, was detected in liver and kidney tissue.
Maintenance and Pilot History
A postaccident examination of the maintenance records revealed that construction of N520RW (serial number 6839) was completed in June 2007. It was powered by a 150 horsepower Rotorway RI 162F engine. The pilot performed the last conditional inspection on August 26, 2008, and 25-hour and 50-hour inspections on September 15. The pilot's most recent logbook, containing entries from March 19, 2010, to August 29, 2010, showed three flight reviews on March 19, 2010, in a Bell 47, a Robinson R-22, and a Robinson R-44. His total flight time was 196.5 hours.