- Date
- January 12, 2021, 16:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Lafayette, IN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N552DRHiller UH12C
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Dynamic rollover
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration - Indianapolis FSDO
- FAA report
- 20210112000479A
- Case key
- 102612
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 failure to maintain control of the helicopter shortly after liftoff into a hover, which resulted in a dynamic rollover when the left landing skid contacted the ground.
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 stated that shortly after liftoff, the helicopter drifted left, and the left landing skid contacted the ground, which caused a dynamic rollover onto the helicopter’s left side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor system, transmission structural support, and the tail rotor drive shaft. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. Additionally, the pilot stated that he had not flown the helicopter during the previous 2 months, and that the accident might have been prevented had he flown the helicopter more frequently.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N552DR
- Reported as
- Hiller UH12C (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 562261
- Built
- 1956
- Airframe hours
- 3,865.6
- Engine
- Franklin 6V-335-B, 215 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 20, 2019
- Airport
- PVT · Private
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 22, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 727 total · 109 in this make and model · 9 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 7 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- KLAF, 7 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KLAF 122054Z 24007G16KT 10SM CLR 06/M01 A3009 RMK AO2 SLP193 T00611006 56017=
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 13, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.1 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.