- Date
- June 26, 2012, 14:33 local (19:33 UTC)
- Place
- Grinnell, IA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N488MCSchweizer TH55A/269A
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 4, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120626010919A
- Case key
- 84119
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 the wind during a hovering maneuver, which resulted in a loss of tail rotor effectiveness and directional control.
Findings · 2
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 helicopter pilot and his passenger were returning to the airport after a local flight. In preparation to land, the pilot approached a grassy area adjacent to the runway and entered a hover into a 12-knot wind that was gusting to 16 knots. The pilot then made a right-pedal turn downwind. He said that during the turn the wind caught the tail and the helicopter began to spin. The pilot could not stop the turning; the tailrotor struck a fence, and the main rotor blades hit the ground. A review of photographs of the helicopter taken after the accident revealed that the tail rotor blades, main rotor blades, and fuselage were substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter.
Factual narrative
The pilot and his passenger were returning to the airport after a local flight. In preparation to land, the pilot approached a grassy area adjacent to the runway and entered a hover into a 12 knot wind. The wind was also gusting to 16 knots. The pilot then made a right pedal turn downwind. He said that during the turn, the wind caught the tail and the helicopter began to spin. The pilot did not have enough left pedal to stop turning and the tailrotor struck a fence and the main rotor blades hit the ground. A review of photographs taken of the helicopter after the accident revealed the tail rotor blades, main rotor blades, and fuselage were substantially damaged. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N488MC
- Reported as
- Schweizer TH55A/269A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 680885
- Airframe hours
- 11,666
- Engine
- Lycoming IO360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Lowry Flying Service
- Registered owner
- Lowry Flying Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 12, 2012
- Departed
- None · New Sharon, IA
- Destination
- GGI · Grinnell, IA
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- GGI · Grinnell
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
- 59
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 8,718 total · 47 in this make and model · 35 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 12 knots, gusting 16
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 26, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 680 KB 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.
Other investigations on N488MC · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.