Bell 206 N716VL accident near Point Lookout, New York

Probable cause

The pilot’s decision to depart on a visual flight rules flight, and to continue that flight into forecasted and deteriorating instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) in a helicopter that was not equipped for flight in IMC, which resulted in the pilot’s spatial disorientation and a subsequent loss of control.

NTSB analysis

The pilot of the helicopter departed for a visual flight rules cross-country flight but returned to the airport shortly after takeoff upon encountering instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), which had been forecast. The pilot elected to depart again under special visual flight rules after hearing another pilot report indicating that the ceiling was between 800 and 1,000 ft. The helicopter was not equipped for flight in IMC.

About 12 minutes after takeoff, the pilot informed air traffic control that he intended to return to the departure airport after encountering IMC. Automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast data showed that, during that part of the flight, the helicopter made numerous heading deviations in both directions (mostly to the right). While traveling back to the airport in IMC, the pilot heard a loud sound coming from the tail of the helicopter followed immediately by yawing in a clockwise direction, which was not corrected by the pilot’s anti-torque pedal input. The helicopter descended into shallow water, coming to rest upright.

Although the pilot believed that the tail rotor had failed or malfunctioned, a postaccident examination of the helicopter’s anti-torque system revealed no evidence of any preimpact failure or malfunction. The pilot’s perceived malfunction of the tail rotor, which occurred while the helicopter was flying at low airspeed, was likely the result of the pilot’s spatial disorientation, which began after he encountered IMC.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA21LA028 for the full record.