Accident Overview
On September 19, 2020, at approximately 1356 central daylight time, a Safari 400 helicopter, registration N60WD, was destroyed in an accident near Red Bud, Illinois. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The helicopter was being operated as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Witness Accounts
A witness who was mowing grass across the street observed the helicopter depart normally eastward. About 15 minutes later, the helicopter approached from the south behind a funeral home, hover-taxied between a bank and a storage building where the helicopter was based. The witness reported that the tail of the helicopter appeared to contact the storage building. The helicopter then came to rest on its left side adjacent to the building, and a postimpact fire ensued.
A second witness saw the helicopter hovering about 6 to 8 feet above the ground when it began spinning out of control. The helicopter went up and down and finally came straight down, colliding with the storage building.
Surveillance Video
Surveillance footage from the bank showed the helicopter hovering near the storage building before the accident. The camera was motion-activated with significant time gaps. Between 1334:28 and 1334:35, the pilot hover-taxied southbound between the bank and the building. Between 1355:59 and 1356:08, the pilot hover-taxied northbound. Upon reaching the north end of the building, the pilot turned right (east). The video stopped while the helicopter was still in view and resumed at 1356:39, showing a fire next to the building. The accident sequence was not captured. The helicopter appeared under control and operating normally during recorded periods.
Wreckage and Examinations
The helicopter came to rest on its left side against the storage building, oriented west. The forward portion was destroyed by the postimpact fire. Postaccident examinations of the airframe and engine found no anomalies, although the airframe inspection was limited by fire damage.