Helicopteres Guimbal CABRI G2 accident near Cahokia, Illinois, January 22, 2018
On January 22, 2018 at about 5:15 pm local time, a 2015 Helicopteres Guimbal CABRI G2, registered N989HH, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (hover) near Cahokia, Illinois (St Louis Downtown airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. 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 yaw control while landing in gusting crosswind conditions and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 22, 2018 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Cahokia, Illinois · St Louis Downtown · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Helicopteres Guimbal CABRI G2 NO SERIES, built 2015 · all CABRI G2s on the register
- Registration
- N989HH · no longer on the register · serial 1124
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter flight instructor reported that the student pilot was performing a normal approach to a hover with a quartering gusting headwind. He added that he "reminded" the student of the need to anticipate right pedal input as they applied power to terminate to a hover. Subsequently, the student pilot did not add sufficient "right pedal," and the helicopter immediately and very rapidly yawed to the left. The flight instructor said, "my controls," and attempted to recover, but the helicopter continued to spin counterclockwise, touched down, and then rolled onto its right side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and main rotor system. The flight instructor and student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system on the airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 170° at 11 knots, gusting to 22 knots. The student pilot attempted to hover on runway 12L.
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
- Attempted remediation/recovery during maneuvering (hover)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (hover)
- Roll over
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Yaw control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 203 hours in all; 75 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 119 as pilot in command; 4 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 2, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: gyroplane
- Flight time: 1,015 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: July 16, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 850.4 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 5, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,543 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A (piston); 781 hours total
- Operator: D H Helicopter INC
The flight
- Departed from: CPS Cahokia IL at 5:00 pm
- Destination: CPS Cahokia IL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 12L, 5,301 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 11 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.54 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KCPS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 |
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 GAA18CA110.