- Date
- June 4, 2011, 10:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Las Vegas, NV
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N6128USchweizer 269C
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 19, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20110604010779A
- Case key
- 79299
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 adequate clearance from terrain while attempting a transition from hovering flight to forward flight over a mesa in windy, downdraft conditions.
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
According to the pilot, while on a sightseeing flight he flew over a mesa and commenced a hover maneuver about 12 feet above a ridge line. When the wind speed increased he attempted to depart the area. The pilot stated that he encountered a strong downdraft in the estimated 20-knot wind. While flying toward lower elevation terrain on the lee side of the mesa in an effort to depart the area, the helicopter's skids impacted rocks and the helicopter rolled over.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, while on a sightseeing flight he flew over a mesa and commenced a hover maneuver about 12 feet above a ridge line. When the wind speed increased he attempted to depart the area. The pilot stated that he encountered a strong downdraft in the estimated 20-knot wind. While flying toward lower elevation terrain on the lee side of the mesa in an effort at departing the area, the helicopter's skids impacted rocks and the helicopter rolled over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6128U
- Reported as
- Schweizer 269C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- S1655
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360 SER, 190 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Airwork, LLC
- Registered owner
- L J Air Corp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- VGT · Las Vegas, NV
- Destination
- VGT · Las Vegas, NV
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
- 60
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Flight engineer, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 27, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 31,000 total · 160 in this make and model · 23,000 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 7 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 8, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 545 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.