Guimbal CABRI accident near Kent Island, Maryland, May 4, 2019
On May 4, 2019 at about 4:11 pm local time, a 2017 Guimbal CABRI (helicopter), registered N572MD, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering near Kent Island, Maryland. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The noninstrument-rated pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in an inadvertent descent into the water. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to conduct the flight at a low altitude without sufficient cues to aid in the perception of attitude and altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 4, 2019 · about 4:11 pm local time
- Place
- Kent Island, Maryland · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Guimbal CABRI G2, built 2017
- Registration
- N572MD · no longer on the register · serial 1189
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The non-instrument-rated pilot and passenger intended to fly the helicopter, which was not equipped for instrument flight, in order to photograph the passenger's family member fishing, despite a forecast of instrument meteorological conditions. The helicopter flew for about 11 minutes, making several left and right turns in the vicinity of where the family member was fishing at an altitude of about 175 ft. The passenger was texting the family member, and at one point asked "Can you see us? We are hitting the wall that we can't fly through." The family member responded, "not really," and the passenger sent one last text message stating, "Give me one more [GPS] pin to try." After the last message, the helicopter began to fly south over water and away from land and any natural horizon. The wreckage was located in the water about 1.5 miles from the shoreline. Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical anomaly. Analyses of weather information, witness statements, and photographs taken by the passenger were consistent with conditions of limited visibility and a lack of a visible horizon. In these limited visibility conditions, especially when flying away from shore, the pilot's workload would have increased as he divided his attention between maintaining control of the helicopter and an adequate altitude above the water using poor visual cues and positioning of the helicopter laterally while looking for the fishing vessel. These conditions were conducive to the both the development of spatial disorientation and loss of control, or an inadvertent descent into the water (due to distraction or a visual illusion). The ability of the pilot to detect any loss of control or a trajectory towards the water was significantly reduced as a result of the extremely low altitude in which the flight over water was conducted, the low visibility, the lack of instruments on board to allow for instrument flight, and his lack of instrument training and experience.
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 visual reference during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering
- VFR encounter with IMC during maneuvering
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Below VFR minima › Decision related to condition
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total instrument experience › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Lateral/bank control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 103.5 hours in all; 103.5 in this make and model; 14.8 in the last 90 days; 14.3 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: April 21, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 645.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2019; 46 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,540 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A (piston); 646 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FME Fort Meade(Odenton) MD at 3:30 pm
- Destination: FME Fort Meade(Odenton) MD
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 400 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 3:00 pm from W29, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
19 documents, released by the NTSB on September 22, 2020. 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.
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.