# NTSB CEN25LA213: Airbus Helicopters EC130, Clay Township, MI, June 22, 2025

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report
- Date: June 22, 2025, 13:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place: Clay Township, MI · landing pad near restaurant
- Coordinates: 42.65969, -82.621139
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.6597&lon=-82.6211&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 4 uninjured
- 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
- NTSB case key (mKey): 200363
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN25LA213
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/200363/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=200363
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA213

## Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the helicopter during landing.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md)
- [Performance/control parameters: pitch control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062022): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 526 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062022/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The pilot planned to land near a restaurant for lunch with three passengers. He over flew the landing area and then set up for a “gradual and slow” approach. When the helicopter touched down, he felt the tail drop backwards. The pilot stated that he compensated by adding collective and forward cyclic which inadvertently induced a dynamic rollover. He added that a gusty tailwind prevailed at the time of the landing. The helicopter sustained damage to the main rotor blades, the main rotor transmission mount, fuselage, and horizontal stabilizers. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures associated with the helicopter before the accident.

## Aircraft

- Registration: C-GPVB (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS EC130 (T2)
- Category: Helicopter
- Serial number: 9683
- Year built: 2024
- Airframe hours: 47
- Engines: Safran Ariel2D 856 horsepower turbo shaft
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Registered owner: Vision Arr
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, May 23, 2025, 32 hours before
- Departed: KDET, Detroit, MI
- Destination: PVT, Clay Township, MI
- Flight plan: VFR
- Airport: PVT, Private
- Equipment: ADS-B, Electronic primary flight display, Video recording device

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 57; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review April 25, 2025; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 2,000 total, 1,300 as pilot in command, 82 in the last 90 days, 16 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 240° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 93 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observed at: KMTC, 9 nm away
- METAR: KMTC 221656Z 24009KT 200V260 10SM FEW050 34/23 A3001 RMK AO2A SLP161 T03350232 $

## Docket (2 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 21, 2025, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=200363. 2.5 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 10 pages, 1.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18922470&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Accident%20Report%20--%20CEN25LA213_redacted-Rel.pdf
- Investigation photos -- CEN25LA213 (item 2, PDF, 5 pages, 918 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18922004&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Investigation%20Photos%20--%20CEN25LA213-Rel.pdf

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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