Bell OH 58A N911RW accident near Fort Meade, Florida

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter, which resulted in a dynamic rollover and impact with terrain.

NTSB analysis

The pilot was attempting to rescue a gyroplane pilot who made a forced landing in a phosphate pit and gypsum pond by having him grab the right skid of the helicopter and lift him to safety. The pilot anticipated that he would have to compensate for the change in the helicopter's center of gravity when the gyroplane pilot grabbed the skid. The gyroplane pilot’s first two attempts to grab the helicopter’s right skid were unsuccessful. The helicopter pilot stated that the gyroplane pilot’s third attempt was more aggressive than the previous two attempts and that he was not prepared for the sudden center-of-gravity shift that resulted once the gyroplane pilot grabbed the right skid. The helicopter then entered a dynamic rollover to the right and impacted the gypsum pond, resulting in substantial damage to the main rotor blades, tail rotor, and the tailboom.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA20LA004 for the full record.