Schweizer(Hughes)Aircraft CORP TH55A/269A accident near Grinnell, Iowa, June 26, 2012
On June 26, 2012 at about 7:33 pm local time, a Schweizer(Hughes)Aircraft CORP TH55A/269A (helicopter), registered N488MC, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Grinnell, Iowa (Grinnell airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadequate compensation for the wind during a hovering maneuver, which resulted in a loss of tail rotor effectiveness and directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 26, 2012 · about 7:33 pm local time
- Place
- Grinnell, Iowa · Grinnell · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer(Hughes)Aircraft CORP TH55A/269A · all TH55A/269As on the register
- Registration
- N488MC · no longer on the register · serial 680885
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter pilot and his passenger were returning to the airport after a local flight. In preparation to land, the pilot approached a grassy area adjacent to the runway and entered a hover into a 12-knot wind that was gusting to 16 knots. The pilot then made a right-pedal turn downwind. He said that during the turn the wind caught the tail and the helicopter began to spin. The pilot could not stop the turning; the tailrotor struck a fence, and the main rotor blades hit the ground. A review of photographs of the helicopter taken after the accident revealed that the tail rotor blades, main rotor blades, and fuselage were substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter.
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
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,718 hours in all; 47 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,666 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 12, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: None New Sharon IA
- Destination: GGI Grinnell IA
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 12 knots, gusting 16
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N488MC the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.