# NTSB investigations: Mast bumping NTSB aviation accident and incident investigations since 1962: the probable cause, findings, aircraft, crew, weather and docket of each, linked to the FAA registry and the FAA’s own reports. ## Latest cases - [NTSB ERA26LA324](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA324.md): CSP Leasing Cavalon · Ronkonkoma, NY · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Investigation open · Aug 30, 2026 · N203AG · Substantial damage - [NTSB ANC24FA063](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC24FA063.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 · Kekaha, HI · Accident · 3 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Jul 11, 2024 · N144KW · Substantial damage > An encounter with turbulence due to downdraft winds that resulted in mast bumping and an in-flight breakup. - [NTSB CEN24FA248](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN24FA248.md): Rotorway Scorpion 133 · Andale, KS · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Jul 5, 2024 · N51017 · Destroyed > The pilot’s abrupt control inputs, which resulted in a low-G condition, main rotor mast bumping, and subsequent severing of the tailboom by the main rotor blades. - [NTSB WPR23LA313](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR23LA313.md): Bell OH-58A · Guernsey, CA · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Aug 9, 2023 · N861CC · Substantial damage > The pilot’s overpitching of the main rotor blades while maneuvering at low altitude in a high-temperature environment at high gross weight, which resulted in a reduction of engine and rotor speed, excessive main rotor blade flapping, mast bumping, and impact… - [NTSB ERA21FA317](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA21FA317.md): Rotorway Exec 162F · Argyle, NY · Accident · 2 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Aug 7, 2021 · N162KJ · Destroyed > The pilot’s abrupt control inputs, which resulted in a low G condition, main rotor mast bumping, and the subsequent severing of the tail boom by a main rotor blade. - [NTSB WPR21FA300](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR21FA300.md): Robinson Helicopter R66 · Colusa, CA · Accident · 4 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Aug 1, 2021 · N7000J · Destroyed > The pilot’s abrupt flight control input that led to mast bumping and a subsequent in-flight breakup. - [NTSB WPR19FA109](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR19FA109.md): Bell 206 · Fort McDowell, AZ · Accident · 2 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Apr 16, 2019 · N61PH · Destroyed > The separation of the main rotor head from the mast as a result of a sudden displacement of the cyclic stick during a low-G maneuver, leading to mast bumping. Contributing to the accident were the unsecure positioning of the flight test engineer’s laptop… - [NTSB CEN18WA402](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN18WA402.md): Rotorway Exec · Crestet, France · Accident · 1 fatal · Foreign investigation · Apr 5, 2018 · F-PFBJ · Destroyed > The government of France has notified the NTSB of an accident involving an amateur-built ROTORWAY EXEC helicopter that occurred on April 05, 2018. The NTSB has appointed a U.S. Accredited Representative to assist the government of France's investigation under… - [NTSB ERA18LA020](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA18LA020.md): Bell 206 · Union City, TN · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Nov 8, 2017 · N275AE · Substantial damage > The pilot’s inadvertent slope landing and attempted recovery, which resulted in an incipient dynamic rollover, mast bumping, and separation of the main rotor. - [NTSB CEN17FA012](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN17FA012.md): Fairchild Hiller FH 1100 · Lino Lakes, MN · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Oct 6, 2016 · N4035G · Destroyed > The separation of the main rotor assembly due to mast bumping. - [NTSB WPR16FA130](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR16FA130.md): Robinson Helicopter R66 · Wikieup, AZ · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jun 23, 2016 · N117TW · Destroyed > An encounter with turbulence due to updrafts and/or dust devils that resulted in mast bumping and an in-flight break-up. - [NTSB WPR15LA177](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR15LA177.md): Bell 206 L4 · Dewey, AZ · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jun 2, 2015 · N73AW · Substantial damage > A total loss of engine power due to the failure of the No. 2 bearing, which resulted from a fractured separator. - [NTSB WPR15FA051](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR15FA051.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 · Bountiful, UT · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Dec 2, 2014 · N3234U · Substantial damage > The pilot/mechanic's failure to properly secure the pitch link hardware of one main rotor blade to the rotating swash plate, which resulted in the pitch link separating in flight and a subsequent loss of control. - [NTSB WPR13FA417](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR13FA417.md): Bell UH-1V · Cordes Lakes, AZ · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Sep 21, 2013 · N22490 · Destroyed > The pilot's improper maintenance on the helicopter’s main rotor blade pitch control system, which resulted in an in-flight loss of main rotor blade pitch control, mast bumping, and mast failure. - [NTSB ERA13FA186](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA13FA186.md): Robinson R44 · Miami, FL · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Apr 3, 2013 · N3101H · Destroyed > The mechanic's failure to properly secure the pitch link hardware of one main rotor blade to the rotating swash plate, which resulted in the pitch link separating in flight and the pilot's subsequent loss of control. Contributing to the accident was the… - [NTSB ERA13FA070](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA13FA070.md): Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta II · Apollo Beach, FL · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Nov 30, 2012 · N2626N · Substantial damage > Mast bumping for reasons that could not be determined because one main rotor blade was not recovered. - [NTSB CEN11FA422](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN11FA422.md): Robinson R22 Beta · Del Valle, TX · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jun 27, 2011 · N7779M · Substantial damage > The divergence of the main rotor from its normal plane of rotation for reasons that cannot be determined because the pilot’s control inputs leading up to the event are unknown, resulting in mast bumping and main rotor blade separation. - [NTSB CEN11GA020](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN11GA020.md): Bell 206B · Clarkson Valley, MO · Accident · 1 fatal · Final report · Oct 15, 2010 · N96MP · Substantial damage > The total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, which resulted from the pilot's inadequate preflight planning and decision-making, and his improper control inputs following the loss of engine power, which resulted in mast bumping and separation of the… ## The whole list in SQL Runs in DuckDB 1.2 or later on the release's Parquet files over HTTPS: ```sql SELECT c."ntsbNumber", c."eventDate", c."eventType", c."eventCity", c."eventStateOrRegion", a.n_number, a."aircraftMake", a."aircraftModel", c."highestInjuryLevel", c."totalFatal", c."completionStatus", c.report_url FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' c LEFT JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' a ON a.case_mkey = c."mKey" AND a.position = 1 WHERE c."mKey" IN (SELECT s.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' s WHERE s."tier2Number" = '245' AND s.case_mkey IN (SELECT case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' WHERE "isDefiningEvent")) ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC ``` This list as a web page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/245/sequence --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.