BELL 212 near Mesa, AZ — 2011-06-21

Final reportWPR11LA277

Date: 2011-06-21
Location: Mesa, AZ, USA
Aircraft: BELL 212
Registration: N49678
Category: Helicopter
Highest injury: Serious
Fatalities: 0
Phase of flight: Hover

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain helicopter control while in a low hover.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, after he established the helicopter in a stabilized hover about 3 feet above the ground with the crew chief following on the controls with him, the helicopter rapidly rolled right. The pilot was unable to correct the roll, and the helicopter subsequently impacted the ground and came to rest on its right side. The helicopter's fuselage sustained substantial damage, and the cockpit area was consumed by postimpact fire. Ground scars about 20 feet behind the main wreckage revealed that the tail section contacted the ground first. The pilot reported and a postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the helicopter.