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CEN21LA021

2020-10-18 · Washington, Wisconsin, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 2P2

N31136 has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (ROBINSON HELICOPTER R44 II, built 2021), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to maintain lateral control during a hover and improper recovery action after the helicopter contacted the ground, which resulted in a dynamic rollover sequence and an impact with terrain.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that while moving over a slight incline at a hover in preparation for the takeoff, a gust of wind caused the helicopter to weathervane, inadvertently contact the ground, and initiate a rolling motion. Although the proper response was to lower the collective in this situation, the pilot’s immediate reaction was to increase the collective, which exacerbated the dynamic rollover sequence. The helicopter continued the rolling motion and came to rest on its right side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor system, the fuselage, and the tail rotor system. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Lateral/bank control-Not attained/maintained

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2020_CEN21LA021.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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