Guimbal CABRI accident near St. Louis, Illinois, May 23, 2019
On May 23, 2019 at about 7:10 pm local time, a 2015 Guimbal CABRI (helicopter), registered N369PA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (aborted after touchdown) near St. Louis, Illinois (St Louis Downtown airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's improper emergency procedure instruction to the student pilot, which resulted in the student improperly using the throttle to correct the loss of yaw control, which resulted in ground impact and a dynamic rollover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 23, 2019 · about 7:10 pm local time
- Place
- St. Louis, Illinois · St Louis Downtown · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Guimbal CABRI G2, built 2015
- Registration
- N369PA · registry record · serial 1109
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that, during a training flight in the helicopter, he briefed the student pilot on the procedures required to land with a simulated stuck left pedal. The student began a descent to enter a shallower-than-normal glidepath to the runway surface, and he completed his final checks for the maneuver and continued the approach. During the approach the flight instructor directed the student pilot to use "throttle manipulation to control the yaw caused by a fixed input on the anti-torque system." Upon contacting the runway, the helicopter veered left, and the instructor chose to abort the landing. As the helicopter lifted off, it began to rapidly yaw left while drifting left of the runway. Recognizing that the helicopter was in a spin, they attempted to correct by leveling the helicopter long enough to regain tail rotor authority. The helicopter's left skid impacted mud on the left side of the runway, and the helicopter rolled onto its left side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor, fuselage, and tailboom. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. A manufacturer's service letter, SL 19-002 A, stated, "During in-flight tail rotor control failure simulation, pilots should never use the twist grip to control yaw." Therefore, the flight instructor's direction to the student to use the throttle to correct the yaw was incorrect and led to ground impact and a dynamic rollover.
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 on ground during landing (aborted after touchdown) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (aborted after touchdown)
- Runway excursion during landing (aborted after touchdown)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (aborted after touchdown)
- Dynamic rollover during landing (aborted after touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Wet/muddy terrain › Effect on operation
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 653 hours in all; 425 in this make and model; 135 in the last 90 days; 32 in the last 30 days; 545 as pilot in command; 324 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 27, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 62 hours in all; 62 in this make and model; 11 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,839.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 8, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,543 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A (piston); 1,840 hours total
- Operator: D H Helicopter Inc
The flight
- Departed from: CPS St Louis IL at 7:10 pm
- Destination: CPS St. Louis IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30R, 5,301 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KCPS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on July 18, 2019. 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 | Guimbal Service Letter 19-002A | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
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.