Helicopteres Guimbal CABRI G2 accident near Cahokia Heights, Illinois, October 2, 2023
On October 2, 2023 at about 8:57 pm local time, a 2016 Helicopteres Guimbal CABRI G2, registered N354MH, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (hover) near Cahokia Heights, Illinois (St. Louis Downtown Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot’s failure to maintain helicopter control which resulted in impact with the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 2, 2023 · about 8:57 pm local time
- Place
- Cahokia Heights, Illinois · St. Louis Downtown Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Helicopteres Guimbal CABRI G2, built 2016 · all CABRI G2s on the register
- Registration
- N354MH · registry record · serial 1149
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The operator reported that the student pilot had completed three solo touch and go landings and was returning to land on the ramp. While approaching the parking area, he was distracted by two aircraft on the ramp, and the helicopter began an uncontrolled yaw. The student pilot lowered the collective and arrested the yaw, but as the helicopter entered ground effect, he raised the collective, and the uncontrolled yaw resumed. The helicopter impacted the ground and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, main rotor, and tail rotor. The operator reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
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 (hover) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 54 hours in all; 54 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,467.1 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 21, 2023; 27.1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,543 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A (piston); 2,162 hours total
- Operator: Ideal Aviation
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from KCPS
Weather report (METAR): KCPS 022053Z 13003KT 10SM CLR 31/13 A3012 RMK AO2 SLP196 T03060128 56022 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 CEN24LA005.