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MIA91LA129

1991-04-27 · WINTER HAVEN, Florida, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport GIF

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND IMPROPER USE OF THE COLLECTIVE AND CYCLIC FLIGHT CONTROLS AFTER THE LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR EFFECTIVENESS DURING THE APPROACH TO LAND. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS HIS LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE IN TYPE AIRCRAFT.

Factual narrative

WHILE ON FINAL APCH AT 300 FT THE PLT BEGAN TO SLOW THE DESCENT & THE HELICOPTER YAWED TO THE RT. HE APPLIED LT ANTI-TORQUE PEDAL INPUT, HELD COLLECTIVE, APPLIED POWER, & NEUTRALIZED THE CYCLIC CONTROL BUT THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO SPIN TO THE RT. HE INITIATED A HOVER WHILE SPINNING & AFTER OBSERVING A CLEARING, LOWERED COLLECTIVE, & REDUCED POWER. DURING THE DESCENT THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES COLLIDED WITH TREES. POST CRASH EXAM OF THE TAIL ROTOR ASSEMBLY REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. THE PLT WAS NOT AUTHORIZED TO CARRY PASSENGERS IN THIS CLASS OF ACFT. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1991_MIA91LA129.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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