Helicopteres Guimbal CABRI G2 accident near Madison, Illinois, July 19, 2022
On July 19, 2022 at about 3:27 pm local time, a 2019 Helicopteres Guimbal CABRI G2, registered N457PA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Madison, Illinois (St. Louis Downtown airport). It was an instructional 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Loss of tail rotor effectiveness resulting in an in-flight loss of control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 19, 2022 · about 3:27 pm local time
- Place
- Madison, Illinois · St. Louis Downtown · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Helicopteres Guimbal CABRI G2, built 2019 · all CABRI G2s on the register
- Registration
- N457PA · registry record · serial 1247
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and student pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to practice off-airport landings. On the fourth and final landing, they set up a steep approach with the student pilot on the flight controls. The helicopter was above the effective translational lift (ETL) airspeed as they descended through 100 ft above ground level (agl) in a stabilized descent. The helicopter then started to yaw left and the flight instructor took the controls. As the spin rate increased, the flight instructor’s efforts to regain control were not successful. He then realized the helicopter was spinning out of control. He lowered the collective and the spin rate slowed as the helicopter contacted the ground. The flight instructor shut down the engine and both pilots exited the helicopter. The helicopter’s fuselage sustained substantial damage. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operations.
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 tail rotor effectiveness during landing defining event
- Loss of control in flight during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Flight crew
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Instructor/check pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 267 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 176 as pilot in command; 11 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 17, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Flight time: 8 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 0 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,702 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 3, 2022; 73 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,543 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A (piston); 1,776 hours total
- Operator: Ideal Aviation Illinois LLC
The flight
- Departed from: CPS Cahokia IL
- Destination: CPS Cahokia IL
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 am from KCPS, 7 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KCPS 191453Z 15006KT 10SM CLR 29/22 A2990
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 CEN22LA326.