Amateur-built SAFARI 400 N104CV accident near Gallatin, Tennessee

Probable cause

The pilot/owner's improper decision to make a right turn instead of terminating the approach to a hover and his subsequent loss of helicopter control while attempting to land on sloping terrain, which resulted in a roll-over.

NTSB analysis

The pilot, who was also the owner of the helicopter, stated that the helicopter was at or near its maximum allowable gross weight and required maximum engine power to hover in ground effect when he initiated the flight. After a short local flight, the pilot completed an approach to a parallel taxiway with the helicopter in ground effect. The pilot reported that, instead of terminating the approach to a hover, he performed a 180° pedal turn and initiated a teardrop-shaped turn to reverse course, which resulted in the loss of ground effect. As the helicopter turned right below the effective translational lift airspeed, the terrain sloped away from beneath the helicopter, and once in an out-of-ground effect, higher power-demand condition, the engine could not produce the necessary power to maintain full operating rpm. The helicopter then descended below the height of the taxiway. The pilot attempted to perform a landing on rough, sloping terrain, but the helicopter's right skid hit a mound of dirt, which resulted in a dynamic rollover, and it then came to rest on its side.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA19CA147 for the full record.