Hughes TH-55 accident near Pittsfield, Pennsylvania, May 19, 2012
On May 19, 2012 at about 9:17 pm local time, a Hughes TH-55 (helicopter), registered N74914, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Pittsfield, Pennsylvania (Brokeenstraw Airport). It was a personal 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to maintain helicopter control during an encounter with loss of tail rotor effectiveness.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 19, 2012 · about 9:17 pm local time · cases in 2012
- Place
- Pittsfield, Pennsylvania · Brokeenstraw Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes TH-55 · all TH-55s on the register
- Registration
- N74914 · registry record · serial 67-15442
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the student pilot, who had about 36 hours total flight time, he had completed a solo flight earlier in the day that included seven takeoffs and landings. After refueling, he completed a local flight and returned to the departure airport, where he initiated an approach that terminated "perfectly" in a normal hover. However, the helicopter then "started spinning to the right," and the spin could not be arrested with full application of left pedal. The pilot stated that he then increased collective pitch and the corresponding increase in engine power aggravated the spin. He then attempted a hovering autorotation, but the helicopter landed hard, rolled over on to its side, and was substantially damaged. A witness described the helicopter as it approached "flying somewhat erratically" about 40 feet above the runway. The helicopter was "twisting" to the left and right as it hovered "shakily" closer to the runway. The helicopter noise increased, the nose pitched up, the main rotors struck the ground, and the helicopter came to rest on its side. A detailed examination of the wreckage revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. A Federal Aviation Administration advisory circular stated that loss of tail rotor effectiveness (LTE) is a critical, low-speed aerodynamic flight characteristic which could result in an uncommanded rapid yaw rate which does not subside of its own accord and, if not corrected, could result in the loss of aircraft control. Further, any maneuver that required the pilot to operate in a high-power, low-airspeed environment with a left crosswind or tailwind would create an environment where unanticipated right yaw may occur. The nearest weather reporting station, which was located about 19 nautical miles from the accident site, recorded a 7-knot, left quartering tailwind for the landing on runway 9.
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 approach
- Attempted remediation/recovery during approach
- Loss of control in flight during approach defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Tail rotor › (general) › Related operating info
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › Student pilot
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience › Student pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 36 hours in all; 36 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 6 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,905 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 8, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: P15 Pittsfield PA at 7:00 pm
- Destination: P15 Pittsfield PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 2,665 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 9:15 pm from KJHW, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on January 25, 2013. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Statment (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Witness Statment (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | FAA Inspectors Statements | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Pittsfield (Jhw) Meteorological Observations | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Photo 1 - Overview of Wreckage (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photo 2 - View of Tailboom (Courtesy of FAA) | 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.
Other NTSB records under N74914 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N74914 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Hughes TH-55 20 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Hughes 387 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360 SER 390 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Pennsylvania 1,836 since 1982 · 234 in the last ten years
- Pennsylvania 6,195 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N74914 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA12CA357.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.