- Date
- July 19, 2022, 10:27 local (15:27 UTC)
- Place
- Madison, IL · bean field
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N457PAHelicopteres Guimbal Cabri G2
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of tail rotor effectiveness
- 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
- FAA Flight Standards
- FAA report
- 20220719007639A
- Case key
- 105522
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
Loss of tail rotor effectiveness resulting in an in-flight loss of 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 flight instructor and student pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to practice off-airport landings. On the fourth and final landing, they set up a steep approach with the student pilot on the flight controls. The helicopter was above the effective translational lift (ETL) airspeed as they descended through 100 ft above ground level (agl) in a stabilized descent. The helicopter then started to yaw left and the flight instructor took the controls. As the spin rate increased, the flight instructor’s efforts to regain control were not successful. He then realized the helicopter was spinning out of control. He lowered the collective and the spin rate slowed as the helicopter contacted the ground. The flight instructor shut down the engine and both pilots exited the helicopter. The helicopter’s fuselage sustained substantial damage. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N457PA
- Reported as
- Helicopteres Guimbal Cabri G2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1247
- Built
- 2019
- Airframe hours
- 1,702
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-J2A, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Ideal Aviation Illinois LLC, doing business as Ideal Aviation
- Registered owner
- Ideal Aviation Illinois LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 3, 2022 · 73 hours before
- Departed
- CPS · Cahokia, IL
- Destination
- CPS · Cahokia, IL
- Airport
- CPS · St. Louis Downtown
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Electronic primary flight display
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 39
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 17, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 267 total · 22 in this make and model · 176 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 8 total · 8 in this make and model · 0 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- KCPS, 7 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KCPS 191453Z 15006KT 10SM CLR 29/22 A2990
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 12, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 37.8 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.