- Date
- June 7, 2016, 17:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Beaumont, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N38SLRobinson Helicopter R66
- Defining event
- Standing-engine(s) start-up: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 3, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160607015189A
- Case key
- 93338
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 non-pilot owner's decision to start the helicopter while awaiting the pilot's arrival, which resulted in a loss of yaw control and a rollover.
Findings · 4
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 owner of the helicopter, who did not hold a pilot certificate, reported that he followed the manufacture checklist and started the helicopter as he awaited the arrival of his pilot. He further reported that as the main rotor reached "idle speed" the helicopter spun to the right and rolled over, which resulted in substantial damage to the main rotor drive shaft and tail boom. The owner's pilot did not witness the accident and did not authorize the owner's actions. The owner did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The owner of the helicopter, who did not hold a pilot certificate, reported that he followed the manufacture checklist and started the helicopter as he awaited the arrival of his pilot. He further reported that as the main rotor reached "idle speed" the helicopter spun to the right and rolled over, which resulted in substantial damage to the main rotor drive shaft and tail boom. The owner's pilot did not witness the accident and did not authorize the owner's actions. The owner did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N38SL
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R66 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0269
- Built
- 2013
- Airframe hours
- 317
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce 250-C300/A1, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Beaumont, TX
- Destination
- Beaumont, TX
- Equipment
- None
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
- 32
- Injuries
- None
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 56 total · 56 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.84 inHg
- Observed at
- KBPT, 12 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 27, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 628 KB 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.