Bell OH 58A N303HP accident near Raleigh, North Carolina

Probable cause

The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection, during which he failed to detach ground handling equipment from the helicopter before initiating the takeoff, which resulted in the subsequent dynamic rollover.

NTSB analysis

In preparation for a local flight, the commercial pilot moved the helicopter from the hangar to the helipad on an electric transporter that was attached to the helicopter skids. During the pilot's preflight preparation, shortly after he had unhooked the left skid from the transporter, the passenger interrupted him to ask if the flight controls could be removed from the copilot's side. After removing the controls, the pilot continued with his preflight inspection; however, he forgot to unhook the right skid from the transporter. Subsequently, during the takeoff, the helicopter rolled right until the main rotor blades struck the ground. The pilot's failure to unhook the transporter from the right skid led to the subsequent dynamic rollover.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA18LA170 for the full record.