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CEN22LA068

2021-12-09 · McKinney, Texas, United States · Serious · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport TKI

Current FAA registration · N666JS

Make / Model
CHR INTERNATIONAL INC SAFARI 400
Engine
LYCOMING IO-360 SERIES (200 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20140714
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A8CB5C

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot did not remove the cyclic control lock during preflight, which resulted in a loss of control during the initial hover.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that he drove from his home to the airport not expecting to fly the helicopter due to high winds, however, after arrival at the hangar the winds were lighter than the forecast winds, so he conducted a preflight for a local flight. As the pilot raised the collective for takeoff and the helicopter climbed into an initial hover, the helicopter rolled to the left. The pilot tried to counter the roll but was unable because the cyclic control lock was still in place. The helicopter continued to roll left and impacted the ramp and a post impact fire ensued. The pilot successfully egressed the helicopter but suffered serious burn injuries. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor system and the cabin. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures 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-Inspection-Preflight inspection-Pilot
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft handling/service-Maintenance/inspections-(general)-Inadequate inspection
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Lateral/bank control-Attain/maintain not possible

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2021_CEN22LA068.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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Related research

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