- Date
- May 6, 2021, 13:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Palm Gardens, NV
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N972BWMcdonnell Douglas Heli 369FF
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- 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
- FAA report
- 20210506008169A
- Case key
- 103046
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 helicopter control during an encounter with a dust devil shortly after takeoff.
Findings · 3
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, shortly after takeoff, the helicopter encountered a dust devil from the right side, which caused the helicopter to yaw right and descend. Despite the pilot’s best attempt to control the helicopter, it struck terrain. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N972BW
- Reported as
- Mcdonnell Douglas Heli 369FF
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0105FF
- Built
- 1994
- Airframe hours
- 5,816
- Engine
- Allison 250-C30, 600 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- External load · Part 133
- Operator
- Summit Helicopter Inc., doing business as Summit Helicopters Inc.
- Registered owner
- Roberts Aircraft Co
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 1, 2021
- 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
- 33
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 28, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,209 total · 789 in this make and model · 3,148 as pilot in command · 213 in the last 90 days · 86 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 100 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.86 inHg
- Observed at
- KIFP, 17 nm away
- METAR
- KIFP 062048Z 17011KT 10SM FEW160 38/M04 A2986
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 1, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.9 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.