- Date
- June 2, 2024, 13:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place
- Gilbertsville, KY · private property
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N220SWRobinson R44
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Roll over
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20240602009529A
- Case key
- 194359
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 while attempting to take off from sloping terrain.
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 initially landed on his private property, but then decided he wanted to move to an area that was flatter. He described that when he raised the collective pitch control the helicopter “moved back.” Before he was able to recover, the main rotor blades contacted the upsloping terrain, resulting in a rollover and substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N220SW
- Reported as
- Robinson R44 (II)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 14013
- Built
- 2016
- Airframe hours
- 202
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-AE145, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Sdw LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 22, 2024
- Departed
- Carmi, IL
- Destination
- Same as departure
- 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
- 86
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Last flight review
- February 15, 2021
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 13,450 total · 550 in this make and model · 8,220 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- CEY, 18 nm away
- METAR
- KCEY 021815Z AUTO 23007KT 10SM FEW038 SCT060 28/20 A3001 RMK A01
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 28, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 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.