Probable cause
The pilot’s inadequate compensation for the wind during a hovering maneuver, which resulted in a loss of tail rotor effectiveness and directional control.
NTSB analysis
The helicopter pilot and his passenger were returning to the airport after a local flight. In preparation to land, the pilot approached a grassy area adjacent to the runway and entered a hover into a 12-knot wind that was gusting to 16 knots. The pilot then made a right-pedal turn downwind. He said that during the turn the wind caught the tail and the helicopter began to spin. The pilot could not stop the turning; the tailrotor struck a fence, and the main rotor blades hit the ground. A review of photographs of the helicopter taken after the accident revealed that the tail rotor blades, main rotor blades, and fuselage were substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN12CA402 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Jun 26, 2012
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Grinnell, Iowa
- Nearest airport
- Grinnell (GGI)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Schweizer(Hughes)Aircraft Corp TH55A/269A
- N-number
- N488MC
- Category
- Helicopter
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.