- Date
- March 16, 2021, 07:45 local (14:45 UTC)
- Place
- Lucerne Valley, CA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N6133CBell 206
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: 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
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20210316005689A
- Case key
- 102763
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 aircraft control while maneuvering with a tailwind, resulting in the helicopter spinning and colliding with terrain.
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 pilot reported that he departed from a dry lakebed with the intention of making a local flight for the passenger to photograph the area. He noted that the wind was from the southwest between 12-15 kts. After departure, the pilot was maneuvering the helicopter to the southeast about 300 ft above ground level (agl), where he was using the helicopter controls to compensate for a tailwind. The helicopter began to yaw to the right and the pilot attempted to regain control by applying full left pedal. Despite his attempts, the helicopter continued to rotate, and the yaw rate was increasing in speed. The helicopter descended and when it neared the ground, the pilot flared to cushion the touchdown for the rapid descent rate. The tail collided with the ground, followed by the skids contacting the desert floor hard; the helicopter came to rest on its right side. The fuselage and tail boom were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6133C
- Reported as
- Bell 206 (L3)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 51544
- Built
- 1991
- Airframe hours
- 3,620
- Engine
- Rolls Royce 250-C30P, 700 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Redlands Heliflight LLC
- Registered owner
- Redlands Heliflight LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 11, 2020 · 26 hours before
- Departed
- Lucern Valley, CA
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, 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
- 51
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 30, 2020
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 555 total · 35 in this make and model · 511 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 25 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- KL35, 14 nm away
- METAR
- KL35 161455Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM M04/M09 A2989 RMK AO2
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 1, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.7 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.