Pilot Debrief

HELICOPTERES GUIMBAL CABRI near Beaumont, TX — 2016-01-30

Final reportGAA16LA117
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Date
2016-01-30
Location
Beaumont, TX, USA
Airport
BMT
Aircraft
HELICOPTERES GUIMBAL CABRI
Registration
N503DS
Category
Helicopter
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Hover

Probable cause

The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind during a hover-taxi and his failure to maintain helicopter control due to a loss of tail rotor effectiveness.

NTSB narrative

According to the private pilot, after completing a local area flight, he was hover-taxiing the helicopter to the ramp on about a 065-degree heading. Once the helicopter was clear of the taxiway, the helicopter encountered a small wind gust, which the pilot classified as a "tailwind." He corrected the helicopter's subsequent left rotation by applying about one-quarter of right tail rotor pedal and noted that the airspeed was about 20 knots and the altitude was about 10 ft. About 1 second later, the helicopter encountered another more significant wind gust. The pilot noted that he applied full right tail rotor pedal but that the helicopter continued to rotate left and that he then "nudged" the cyclic to the right to "follow the left spin out" and regain control. The pilot was able to stop the forward momentum of the helicopter; however, the left skid contacted the ground, and the helicopter rolled left and impacted terrain. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation and that he considered this a loss of tail rotor effectiveness event. The pilot reported that the wind at the airport at the time of the accident was from 220 degrees at 14 knots gusting to 24 knots. It is likely that the pilot did not maintain a nose-into-the-wind position and that, when the helicopter began to settle with power, it lost tail rotor effectiveness.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have applied full right pedal sooner to prevent left rotation.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 6 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents6

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