Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 500N accident near Idaho Falls, Idaho, August 12, 2014
On August 12, 2014 at about 2:00 am local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 500N, registered N18GH, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Idaho Falls, Idaho. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s loss of helicopter control for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the helicopter did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 12, 2014 · about 2:00 am local time · cases in 2014
- Place
- Idaho Falls, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 500N N · all 500Ns on the register
- Registration
- N18GH · registry record · serial LN014
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he initiated a vertical climb in the helicopter to clear trees and a residential structure. When the helicopter was about 90 ft above ground level, it banked left and immediately began to rotate. The pilot made control inputs but was unable to regain control of the helicopter, so he initiated an autorotation. Subsequently, the helicopter impacted the ground and rolled over onto its right side. Postaccident examination of the airframe and flight control system revealed no evidence of any preexisting mechanical malfunction that would have precluded normal operation. Postaccident weight and balance and performance calculations revealed that, at the time of the accident, the helicopter was within weight and balance and performance limitations for an out-of-ground-effect hover.
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 tail rotor effectiveness during takeoff defining event
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,623 hours in all; 544 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 1,623 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 15, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,902.8 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 40 hours since
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250-C20R (turboshaft); 1,902 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Idaho Falls ID at 2:00 am
- Destination: Idaho Falls ID
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from KIDA, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on June 11, 2015. 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 | Boeing Helicopter and Md Helicopter Field Notes | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Aircraft Performance Worksheet | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation - Boeing Helicopter | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation - Md Helicopter | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | 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.
Other NTSB records under N18GH the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N18GH on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 500 27 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 135 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250-C20R 4 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Idaho 1,535 since 1982 · 287 in the last ten years
- Idaho 4,199 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N18GH 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR14LA341.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.