What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Description of the deviation:
While operating in VFR conditions, privacy data omitted, privacy data omitted crashed in a small clearing approximately 18 miles sw of Mission Field, MT(klvm) after an unsuccessful attempted low altitude maneuver. The pilot attempted to conduct a maneuver that involved gaining airspeed at a low level, while orbiting in a left turn, while operating within the landing zone in which the aircraft ultimately crashed. The pilot reported noting a “high bank angle” but was unable to recall the exact bank angle. Additionally, the pilot stated that the majority of the maneuver was conducted at approximately 50’ AGL and that the maximum indicated airspeed he noted during the maneuver was approximately 30 knots. After completing a left 360 degree low level turn within the approximately 200M diameter lz, the aircraft crashed at the original point of takeoff on nearly the same heading(northwest) after the pilot reported “hitting a sink” which initiated a rapid descent resulting in the left skid toe and main rotor contacting the ground. The aircraft came to rest on it’s left side, with the main rotor blades and tailboom separated from the fuselage. There was no post crash fire, and minor injuries to both personnel on board.
Based on the pilot’s description of the accident, the inspector’s conclusion is that the pilot bled the airspeed below effective translational lift(etl) by applying aft cyclic to stay within the lz. Due to the high bank angle and the loss of etl, the aicraft entered a rapid descent and the pilot did not have enough altitude to level the aircraft and apply power to arrest the descent before contacting the terrain.
Causaul and/or contributing factors:
The pilot reported that the flight was normal, with 2 personnel and approximately 350 lbs of fuel on board with no other baggage or additional weight on board. Winds were light and variable.
The accident occurred at approximately 5950’ MSL at approximately 10-15 degrees c or less, based on prevailing weather in the area at that time.
The pilot reported total flight experience of 265 flight hours, with approximately half of that time being flown in mountainous terrain operating in and out of unimproved areas.
The pilot addidionally reported the he had “flown a lot” with an older gentleman that had “a lot of helicopter experience” and had been teaching him some things. Though it is unclear if this pilot had given demonstration or instruction of the attempted maneuver.
Note: the pilot’s father, a private helicopter pilot was also acting as a pilot during this flight, but was not at the controls during the accident sequence.
No ATC actions contributory to the event.
No recommendations for systemic corrective action.
Action taken to correct problem and prevent reoccurance:
Compliance action – counseling. The pilot was counseled on recognizing their own limitations as well as the aircraft’s manuevering limitations, power management, aerodynamics, aeronautical decision making and recognizing the limitations of pilot knowledge and experience.
Sas: T-NM05-FY26-0289
As the FAA filed it
DESCRIPTION OF THE DEVIATION:
WHILE OPERATING IN VFR CONDITIONS, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CRASHED IN A SMALL CLEARING APPROXIMATELY 18 MILES SW OF MISSION FIELD, MT(KLVM) AFTER AN UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTED LOW ALTITUDE MANEUVER. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CONDUCT A MANEUVER THAT INVOLVED GAINING AIRSPEED AT A LOW LEVEL, WHILE ORBITING IN A LEFT TURN, WHILE OPERATING WITHIN THE LANDING ZONE IN WHICH THE AIRCRAFT ULTIMATELY CRASHED. THE PILOT REPORTED NOTING A “HIGH BANK ANGLE” BUT WAS UNABLE TO RECALL THE EXACT BANK ANGLE. ADDITIONALLY, THE PILOT STATED THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE MANEUVER WAS CONDUCTED AT APPROXIMATELY 50’ AGL AND THAT THE MAXIMUM INDICATED AIRSPEED HE NOTED DURING THE MANEUVER WAS APPROXIMATELY 30 KNOTS. AFTER COMPLETING A LEFT 360 DEGREE LOW LEVEL TURN WITHIN THE APPROXIMATELY 200M DIAMETER LZ, THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED AT THE ORIGINAL POINT OF TAKEOFF ON NEARLY THE SAME HEADING(NORTHWEST) AFTER THE PILOT REPORTED “HITTING A SINK” WHICH INITIATED A RAPID DESCENT RESULTING IN THE LEFT SKID TOE AND MAIN ROTOR CONTACTING THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON IT’S LEFT SIDE, WITH THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES AND TAILBOOM SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE. THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE, AND MINOR INJURIES TO BOTH PERSONNEL ON BOARD.
BASED ON THE PILOT’S DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCIDENT, THE INSPECTOR’S CONCLUSION IS THAT THE PILOT BLED THE AIRSPEED BELOW EFFECTIVE TRANSLATIONAL LIFT(ETL) BY APPLYING AFT CYCLIC TO STAY WITHIN THE LZ. DUE TO THE HIGH BANK ANGLE AND THE LOSS OF ETL, THE AICRAFT ENTERED A RAPID DESCENT AND THE PILOT DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH ALTITUDE TO LEVEL THE AIRCRAFT AND APPLY POWER TO ARREST THE DESCENT BEFORE CONTACTING THE TERRAIN.
CAUSAUL AND/OR CONTRIBUTING FACTORS:
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE FLIGHT WAS NORMAL, WITH 2 PERSONNEL AND APPROXIMATELY 350 LBS OF FUEL ON BOARD WITH NO OTHER BAGGAGE OR ADDITIONAL WEIGHT ON BOARD. WINDS WERE LIGHT AND VARIABLE.
THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 5950’ MSL AT APPROXIMATELY 10-15 DEGREES C OR LESS, BASED ON PREVAILING WEATHER IN THE AREA AT THAT TIME.
THE PILOT REPORTED TOTAL FLIGHT EXPERIENCE OF 265 FLIGHT HOURS, WITH APPROXIMATELY HALF OF THAT TIME BEING FLOWN IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN OPERATING IN AND OUT OF UNIMPROVED AREAS.
THE PILOT ADDIDIONALLY REPORTED THE HE HAD “FLOWN A LOT” WITH AN OLDER GENTLEMAN THAT HAD “A LOT OF HELICOPTER EXPERIENCE” AND HAD BEEN TEACHING HIM SOME THINGS. THOUGH IT IS UNCLEAR IF THIS PILOT HAD GIVEN DEMONSTRATION OR INSTRUCTION OF THE ATTEMPTED MANEUVER.
NOTE: THE PILOT’S FATHER, A PRIVATE HELICOPTER PILOT WAS ALSO ACTING AS A PILOT DURING THIS FLIGHT, BUT WAS NOT AT THE CONTROLS DURING THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE.
NO ATC ACTIONS CONTRIBUTORY TO THE EVENT.
NO RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SYSTEMIC CORRECTIVE ACTION.
ACTION TAKEN TO CORRECT PROBLEM AND PREVENT REOCCURANCE:
COMPLIANCE ACTION – COUNSELING. THE PILOT WAS COUNSELED ON RECOGNIZING THEIR OWN LIMITATIONS AS WELL AS THE AIRCRAFT’S MANUEVERING LIMITATIONS, POWER MANAGEMENT, AERODYNAMICS, AERONAUTICAL DECISION MAKING AND RECOGNIZING THE LIMITATIONS OF PILOT KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE.
SAS: T-NM05-FY26-0289
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.