Event CEN11CA231

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that he was landing his helicopter. He transitioned from the south to a hover at three feet above the ground. The pilot indicated that a sudden gust of wind "blew the helicopter forward and down." The left skid impacted the ground. The helicopter turned to the right and rolled over onto its left side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to its fuselage and tailcone. Local winds were 160 degrees at 15 knots gusting to 19 knots. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter. The pilot reported that he was landing his helicopter. He transitioned to a hover at about three feet above the ground. The helicopter encountered a sudden gust of wind that blew the helicopter forward and down. The left skid impacted the ground and the helicopter turned to the right and rolled over onto its left side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to its fuselage and tailcone. The recorded wind conditions indicated gusts from 15 knots to 19 knots. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
• C Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Gusts-Response/compensation - C
• C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C