Amateur-built EXEC 162F ROTORWAY N385AR accident near Quincy, Washington

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to ensure that a flag attached to the landing skid was properly secured, which resulted in its in-flight separation and contact with the tail rotor.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that, before departure, he attached a 3-foot by 4-foot American flag to the landing skids of the helicopter. Following an uneventful takeoff, he climbed to an altitude of about 200 feet above ground level. Shortly thereafter, the flag disconnected from the skids and impacted the tail rotor. The pilot initiated an autorotation to a nearby field. Examination of the helicopter by the pilot revealed that about half of the tail boom and tail rotor assembly had separated. The pilot reported that before the flag separated, no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter existed that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR12CA294 for the full record.