- Date
- March 17, 2011, 11:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Iowa, LA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N11CUHiller UH-12D
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 18, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20110317009549A
- Case key
- 78568
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate compensation for gusty crosswinds during takeoff, which resulted in a loss of directional control.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he was landing his helicopter. He transitioned to a hover at about three feet above the ground. The helicopter encountered a sudden gust of wind that blew the helicopter forward and down. The left skid impacted the ground and the helicopter turned to the right and rolled over onto its left side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to its fuselage and tailcone. The recorded wind conditions indicated gusts from 15 knots to 19 knots. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was landing his helicopter. He transitioned from the south to a hover at three feet above the ground. The pilot indicated that a sudden gust of wind "blew the helicopter forward and down." The left skid impacted the ground. The helicopter turned to the right and rolled over onto its left side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to its fuselage and tailcone. Local winds were 160 degrees at 15 knots gusting to 19 knots. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N11CU
- Reported as
- Hiller UH-12D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 983
- Airframe hours
- 6,567
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435-A1C, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Williams Management
- Registered owner
- Williams Management
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 4, 2010
- Departed
- L39 · Leesville, LA
- Destination
- Iowa, LA
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 3, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 395 total · 82 in this make and model · 282 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 15 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,400 ft broken
- Temperature
- 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.26 inHg
- Observed at
- CWF, 7 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 20, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.