Amateur-built S accident near Red Bud, Illinois, September 19, 2020
On September 19, 2020 at about 6:56 pm local time, a 2002 amateur-built S (helicopter), registered N60WD, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Red Bud, Illinois (N/A airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of control for reasons that could not be determined.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 19, 2020 · about 6:56 pm local time
- Place
- Red Bud, Illinois · N/A · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built S, built 2002
- Registration
- N60WD · no longer on the register · serial S2114
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses observed the helicopter in a 6 to 8 ft hover when it began “spinning out of control.” It subsequently impacted a storage building before it came to rest on its left side adjacent to the building. A postimpact fire ensued and consumed the forward portion of the helicopter. A postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies consistent with a preimpact failure or malfunction; however, due to the extent of the postimpact fire, a complete examination of the helicopter was not possible. Although the witness’s report of the helicopter spinning is consistent with a loss of control, the reason for the loss of control could not be determined based on the available information.
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 (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 320 hours in all
- Medical certificate: None (expired)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Red Bud IL at 6:34 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.29 inHg
- Observation at 7:15 pm from SAR, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on June 15, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Witness Statement -- Kathy Birke | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statement -- Michelle Cowell | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Surveillance Video | EXE file | Download |
| 4 | Accident Photos | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Examination Summary | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.