CG Can Be Unforgiving At Times

According to a National Transportation Safety Board probable cause report, the cause of a June helicopter accident in Columbia, MO involved a little pilot error, a little weight issue... and a lot of tall grass.

The Bell 206B (file photo of type shown above), owned by Triple S Hauling, went down as it took off and impacted a very grassy field on July 31. The pilot, who has not been publicly identified, sustained minor injuries, according to the Missourian.

According to the NTSB report, the pilot told investigators there was one passenger scheduled to be in the left seat and a 167 pound part in the right for that particular flight.

After the part was loaded, the pilot was told the passenger would not be riding that trip after all. He said there was a "time deadline" and he decided to fly from the left seat in order to "have a good lateral C.G." rather than redistribute his load.

During takeoff, the pilot reported the helo started "sinking toward the ground" and that he was "over controlling the cyclic." The helicopter's skids came in contact with tall grass and tipped "very far forward." When he tried to level the helicopter with the cyclic, the tail "fell rapidly."

The 206 dropped, impacted terrain, rolled over on its right side and gave up the ghost.

"The pilot stated in his accident report that the accident could have been prevented had he taken the time to get help to move the load to the co-pilot's side. He reported that it would have solved his lateral C.G. problem and he would be flying the helicopter from his normal position," stated the report.

The official cause as listed in the report is, "The pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter, which resulted in impact with terrain during takeoff. A factor in the accident was the tall grass."

FMI: www.ntsb.gov