Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the helicopter while in the traffic pattern.
NTSB analysis
The student pilot was flying his single-seat helicopter as part of a flight of two helicopters with the intention of flying around the airport traffic pattern. Witnesses located adjacent to the accident site reported that, as both helicopters reached an altitude consistent with pattern altitude, the accident helicopter suddenly pitched down. One witness stated that the helicopter shuddered a few times and then pitched down while rolling in a clockwise rotation. The helicopter subsequently impacted flat desert terrain. Postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed no evidence of any preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR14FA167 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Apr 13, 2014
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Reno, Nevada
- Nearest airport
- Reno/Stead (RTS)
- Highest injury
- Fatal
- Fatal injuries
- 1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Amateur-built HELICYCLE
- N-number
- N78CS
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 2014
- 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.