What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 5, 2014 , N16414, a Bell 47 helicopter, was involved in an accident when the aircraft performed a dynamic rollover off a trailer. The aircraft was substantialy damaged, however the pilot received only minor injuries. At the time of the accident the aircraft was located on a flatbed trailer. The trailer had on each side a 2 inch lip so it would prevent the helicopter from sliding off the trailer during transport. When the pilot started to raise the collective the aircraft started to slide sideways and hooked the skid at one of the raised lips and rolled over. The pilot attempted to correct the situation by raising collective and applying opposite cyclic, however this only aggravated the situation and the aircraft rolled over.
Investigation revealed that this trailer was not designed for helicopter transportation and that the steel raised square 2 inch lip was a potential hazard. Usually, helicopter trailers use a sloping raised lip, or do not have one installed at all, so if the aircraft were to make contact with the lip it would just slide off .
The pilot was unaware that the aircraft did not have a valid registration prior to takeoff.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 5, 2014 , N16414, A BELL 47 HELICOPTER, WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHEN THE AIRCRAFT PERFORMED A DYNAMIC ROLLOVER OFF A TRAILER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALY DAMAGED, HOWEVER THE PILOT RECEIVED ONLY MINOR INJURIES. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED ON A FLATBED TRAILER. THE TRAILER HAD ON EACH SIDE A 2 INCH LIP SO IT WOULD PREVENT THE HELICOPTER FROM SLIDING OFF THE TRAILER DURING TRANSPORT. WHEN THE PILOT STARTED TO RAISE THE COLLECTIVE THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO SLIDE SIDEWAYS AND HOOKED THE SKID AT ONE OF THE RAISED LIPS AND ROLLED OVER. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT THE SITUATION BY RAISING COLLECTIVE AND APPLYING OPPOSITE CYCLIC, HOWEVER THIS ONLY AGGRAVATED THE SITUATION AND THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED OVER.
INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THIS TRAILER WAS NOT DESIGNED FOR HELICOPTER TRANSPORTATION AND THAT THE STEEL RAISED SQUARE 2 INCH LIP WAS A POTENTIAL HAZARD. USUALLY, HELICOPTER TRAILERS USE A SLOPING RAISED LIP, OR DO NOT HAVE ONE INSTALLED AT ALL, SO IF THE AIRCRAFT WERE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE LIP IT WOULD JUST SLIDE OFF .
THE PILOT WAS UNAWARE THAT THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT HAVE A VALID REGISTRATION PRIOR TO TAKEOFF.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.