- Date
- October 8, 2022, 10:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Moab, UT · mountainous terrain
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N874BBBell Helicopter Textron Canada 505
- Defining event
- Landing: Dynamic rollover
- 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
- 20221008016559A
- Case key
- 106108
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 loss of helicopter control during landing, that resulted in a dynamic roll over.
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 pilot reported that, he was initiating a landing to a ledge. As the landing skids contacted the ground, the pilot felt the helicopter settle tail first. Startled by this, he abruptly raised the collective, unaware that he was holding forward cyclic input. As power was applied, the rear skids lifted off the ground first, creating a nose low attitude. The helicopter subsequently rolled over onto its right side substantially damaging the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N874BB
- Reported as
- Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 505
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 65233
- Built
- 2019
- Airframe hours
- 318.6
- Engine
- Saffran Arrius 2R, 451 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 26, 2022 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- 7CO1 · Gateway, CO
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Satellite tracking device, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 12, 2022
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,326 total · 141 in this make and model · 937 as pilot in command · 19 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot-rated passenger
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,502 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.33 inHg
- Observed at
- KCNY, 15 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KCNY 081553Z AUTO 12007KT 10SM CLR 18/04 A3033 RMK AO2 SLP233 T01830039=
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 13, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.4 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.