Hughes OH-6A accident near Key Largo, Florida, October 11, 2006
On October 11, 2006 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Hughes OH-6A (helicopter), registered N810SB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Key Largo, Florida (Ocean Reef Club Airport). It was a personal 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 pilot's inadvertent encounter with a loss of tail rotor effectiveness during hover in a crosswind wind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 11, 2006 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Key Largo, Florida · Ocean Reef Club Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes OH-6A · all OH-6As on the register
- Registration
- N810SB · no longer on the register · serial 580468
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he maneuvered the helicopter to the southeast corner of Ocean Reef so the passenger, a photographer, could take photos of a house at the water's edge. The helicopter was in a steady hover over the water with the nose towards the north. The winds were from his left, from the west, at about 10 knots. There were no abnormalities noted with the helicopter's power. He increased left pedal to bring the nose of the helicopter more into the wind to smoothen it out from the effects of the winds on the tail rotor. Suddenly the helicopter started an un-commanded turn to the right. He applied full left pedal, reduced collective, and initiated forward flight. The helicopter continued the right turn. After several rotations and close to the water he initiated an auto-rotation from about 10 feet above the water. He used collective to cushion the contact with the water. The helicopter came to rest on its right side in about 7 feet of water. The passenger stated that while doing aerial photography at about 150 feet above sea level, the helicopter started spinning and spiraling down. They hit the water soon thereafter. A representative for the helicopter's manufacturer, with FAA oversight, examined the helicopter. No abnormalities were found with the helicopter's flight control system. All damage noted to the helicopter was consistent with a water impact. The FAA Aeronautical Handbook\FAA-H-8083-21-Rotorcraft Flying Handbook\Chapter 11-Helicopter Emergencies\Systems Malfunctions\Unanticipated Yaw\Loss of Tail Rotor Effectiveness states that an unanticipated yaw is the occurrence of an uncommanded yaw rate that does not subside of its own accord and, which, if not corrected, can result in the loss of helicopter control. This uncommanded yaw rate is referred to as loss of tail rotor effectiveness (LTE) and is not related to an equipment or maintenance malfunction and may occur in all single-rotor helicopters at airspeeds less than 30 knots. It is the result of the tail rotor not providing adequate thrust to maintain directional control, and is usually caused by either certain wind azimuths (directions) while hovering, or by an insufficient tail rotor thrust for a given power setting at higher altitudes.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: gyroplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 420 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison T63A-700 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O7FA Key Largo FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 30,000 ft; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 am from HST
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.