Accident Overview
On April 23, 2011, at 1541 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built D&D Aircraft Rotorway Exec helicopter, registration N614S, collided with terrain during an off-airport forced landing near Massillon, Ohio. The pilot received a minor injury while exiting the helicopter, and the helicopter sustained substantial damage. The personal flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The local flight originated from a private field in Massillon, Ohio.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that during cruise flight, the engine speed increased to a high rpm and power was no longer being transmitted through to the rotor system. He initiated an autorotation to a sloping, plowed field that was soft due to recent rain. During the landing flare, the tail struck the ground, and the main rotor blades contacted the tailboom. The helicopter then rolled over as a result of the downward slope and the soft terrain.
Postaccident Inspection
Postaccident inspection of the helicopter, conducted by the pilot/builder and Federal Aviation Administration inspectors, revealed that the inner race of the bearing on the secondary shaft, located above the transmission clutch, was worn into the shaft. The secondary shaft had been designed by the pilot.