Texas Helicopter CORP OH-13H/M74A accident near Creston, Illinois, July 28, 2011
On July 28, 2011, a Texas Helicopter CORP OH-13H/M74A, registered N10009, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Creston, Illinois (Hendrickson Flying Service airport). It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate skid clearance from the helicopter cart during landing, resulting in a dynamic rollover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 2011
- Place
- Creston, Illinois · Hendrickson Flying Service · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Texas Helicopter CORP OH-13H/M74A · all OH-13H/M74As on the register
- Registration
- N10009 · registry record · serial 79-032
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he was landing the helicopter on a helicopter cart when its skid got caught on the cart and the helicopter subsequently rolled over. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter during the flight, and substantial damage was sustained to the helicopter tailboom when it rolled. Dynamic rollover is the tendency of a helicopter to continue rolling when the critical angle is exceeded, if one skid is on the ground, and the helicopter is pivoting around that point. Dynamic rollover is possible when a skid is caught by a projection on the surface or when landing on a slope.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Dynamic rollover during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,772 hours in all; 1,800 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 108 in the last 30 days; 8,674 as pilot in command; 1,554 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 10, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,347 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 10, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-435 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Hendrickson Flying Service INC
The flight
- Departed from: IL93 Creston IL at 9:30 pm
- Destination: IL93 Creston IL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N10009 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN11CA524.