No fatalities

17 Mar 2011: HILLER UH-12D — WILLIAMS MANAGEMENT — Iowa, LA

Iowa, LA, United States

On 17 Mar 2011, a HILLER UH-12D operated by WILLIAMS MANAGEMENT was involved in an aviation accident near Iowa, LA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's inadequate compensation for gusty crosswinds during takeoff, which resulted in a loss of directional control. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A helicopter sustained substantial damage when a gust of wind caused it to pitch forward and down during a hover landing, resulting in a rollover.

Accident Overview

A pilot was landing a helicopter, transitioning from a southern approach to a hover approximately three feet above the ground. During the hover, a sudden gust of wind pushed the helicopter forward and downward. The left skid contacted the ground, causing the helicopter to yaw to the right and roll over onto its left side.

Damage and Conditions

The helicopter sustained substantial damage to its fuselage and tailcone. At the time of the accident, local winds were reported from 160 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 19 knots. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the aircraft.

Pilot Report

The pilot reported that the gust of wind "blew the helicopter forward and down," leading to the loss of control during the hover. No further details about the helicopter type, registration, or pilot experience were provided in the report.

Contributing factors

PilotResponse/compensationDirectional control — Not attained/maintained