# Accident 20050526012229A: Hughes TH55, Cornelia, GA, May 26, 2005

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 26, 2005, 16:44 local time
- Place: Cornelia, GA
- Airport: Habersham County Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Hovering
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.5056° N, 83.5547° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.5056&lon=-83.5547&mi=10
- Aircraft: N681BC, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N681BC-2007-09-18) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Hughes TH-55 (registry code 4471002, https://openairdocs.org/model/hughes-th-55) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: NONE (registry code 00000, https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: HUGHES TH55
- Reported engine: LYC HIO360B1A
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 308 total, 295 in this make and model, 10 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL05CA089](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL05CA089) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050526012229A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CLIMB OVER A ROW OF TREES FROM A FORWARD HOVER WITH FULLY LOADED HELICOPTER. GVL AUTOMATED METAR REPORTED LIGHT WINDS FROM THE WEST AND A TEMPERATURE OF 79F (DENSITY ALTITUDE CALCULATED TO BE 3274 FEET). UPON RAISING THE COLLECTIVE THE PILOT REALIZED THAT HE WAS NOT CLIMBING SUFFICIENTLY AND BEGAN A QUICK STOP MANEUVER. THE TAIL ROTOR BECAME TANGLED IN HIGH GRASS CAUSING THE HELICOPTER TO ROTATE RAPIDLY UNTIL THE TAIL BOOM AND MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED THE GROUND. THE TAIL BOOM WAS SHEARED COMPLETELY OFF OF THE HELICOPTER AND THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ATL05CA089](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL05CA089), May 26, 2005: Hughes TH-55 (N681BC), Cornelia, GA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate object clearance, which resulted in the in-flight collision with terrain, and the subsequent rollover.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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