Hughes TH-55A accident near Morgantown, West Virginia, June 12, 2013
On June 12, 2013 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Hughes TH-55A (helicopter), registered N7057H, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Morgantown, West Virginia. 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 pilot’s inadequate planning which resulted in an encounter with settling with power and descent into terrain during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 12, 2013 · about 4:30 pm local time · cases in 2013
- Place
- Morgantown, West Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes TH-55A · all TH-55As on the register
- Registration
- N7057H · registry record · serial 67-15399
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was attempting to reposition the helicopter from an off-airport site in advance of an approaching storm. Following an uneventful preflight inspection and engine start, the pilot climbed the helicopter into a hover and turned toward his intended departure path. He then pushed the cyclic control forward and increased the collective pitch in order to clear some approaching trees. The pilot then realized that “appropriate power” was not available, and turned right in order to avoid the trees. The helicopter subsequently settled with power and impacted the brush below, resulting in substantial damage to the airframe. The pilot reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the helicopter, nor were any discovered during a postaccident examination of the airframe and engine. The pilot additionally stated that the accident could have been prevented with “better situational awareness.”
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
- Settling with power/vortex ring state during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 281 hours in all; 228 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 255 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 15, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,217 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Dah Aircraft LLC
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Morgantown WV at 4:30 pm
- Destination: 79D Philippi WV
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,700 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from MGW, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on July 3, 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 Interview Summary (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Summary of Correspondence with FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 1 - Helicopter at Accident Site (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 2 - Helicopter from Left (Photo 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N7057H 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-B1A 16 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Philippi/Barbour County Regional · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in West Virginia 424 since 1982 · 54 in the last ten years
- West Virginia 885 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA13CA283.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.