N887T – BELL 206 – 2011-04-13 NTSB Accident Report

On April 13, 2011, a Bell 206 (N887T) was involved in an accident near Venice, LA. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's improper use of the collective and cyclic control during taxi operations, which induced a dynamic rollover.

The pilot of the fixed-float equipped helicopter reported he was water-taxiing in a right sideways direction when the helicopter rolled to the right, impacted the water, rolled inverted, and submerged. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was able to exit the inverted cockpit, inflate his life vest and swim to shore. The impact caused substantial damage to the main rotor system, tail rotor, and fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the helicopter. The helicopter's tendency to continue rolling when the critical angle is exceeded, as when one skid is caught on the surface, and the helicopter pivots around that point, is dynamic rollover.

This accident is documented in NTSB report CEN11CA303. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N887T.