- Date
- May 23, 2026, 07:21 local (13:21 UTC)
- Place
- Cedar City, UT · On airfield ramp
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N917SUBell 206-L4
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 3, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20260523009559A
- Case key
- 203051
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 flight instructor's failure to maintain helicopter control while manipulating the engine governor reference rpm adjustment during hover operations, which resulted in a loss of control and impact with the ground.
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 flight instructor, who was flying from the left seat, reported that during the initial hover, the helicopter’s engine governor reference rpm indicated about 104%. To adjust the governor reference rpm, the instructor reached across to the right-seat collective-mounted governor INCR/DECR switch. As he contacted the switch, the instructor failed to maintain helicopter control, and the helicopter pitched nose up, moved aft, and descended. The flight crew reported that the helicopter contacted the ground, bounced, and began to spin out of control. Airport surveillance video showed the helicopter moving aft while descending before contacting the taxiway. The helicopter subsequently became airborne, rotated to the right, and impacted the ground. During the impact sequence, the tailboom and main rotor system separated from the helicopter. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N917SU
- Reported as
- Bell 206-L4
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 52527
- Built
- 1994
- Airframe hours
- 15,484.9
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce 250-C30P, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Southern Utah University
- Registered owner
- Southern Utah University
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · May 12, 2026 · 47 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- CDC · Cedar City Regional
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Satellite tracking 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
- 32
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Flight instructor
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 25, 2026
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,424 total · 219 in this make and model · 1,347 as pilot in command · 196 in the last 90 days · 61 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 25
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 17, 2025
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 222 total · 12 in this make and model · 156 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- CDC
- METAR
- METAR KCDC 231253Z AUTO 05004KT 10SM CLR 10/01 A3005 RMK AO2 SLP117 T01000011=
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 3, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 26.6 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.