- Date
- March 26, 2024, 13:45 local (18:45 UTC)
- Place
- Baton Rouge, LA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N67183Bell 206B
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- 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 FSDO
- FAA report
- 20240326004459A
- Case key
- 194182
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 loss of control during takeoff that resulted in a hard landing.
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 was positioned on a trailer when the pilot initiated a takeoff from the trailer. The pilot reported that the helicopter began a yaw to the right upon liftoff. He attempted to correct the yaw, but the helicopter continued to yaw. The pilot managed to regain some control and made a hard landing. The pilot’s supervisor was in his office near the trailer when he heard rapid tone changes in the rotor noise. He ran outside and saw the helicopter settle to the ground. He glanced at the helicopter, and it appeared undamaged. While the helicopter was still running, he climbed into the co-pilot side of the helicopter and performed a functional check. All controls functioned properly, and the gauges indicated normal. He then repositioned the helicopter back onto the trailer without incident. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tailboom. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions/failures of the helicopter that would have precluded normal operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N67183
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 5120
- Built
- 1993
- Engine
- Rolls Royce M250-C20J, 800 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public aircraft - state · Part 91
- Operator
- State Of Louisiana
- Registered owner
- State Of Louisiana
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 23, 2023 · 11,113 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- BTR · Baton Rouge Metro Airport
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 23, 2023
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 1,548 total · 78 in this make and model · 1,348 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- KBTR
- METAR
- KBTR 261753Z 03005KT 10SM 095 FEW 22/13 A2987
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 12, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.3 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.