Richards Heavylift Helo UH-1H N567VF

Summary

On 10 May 2021 at about 18:20 local time, a Richards Heavylift Helo UH-1H registered N567VF, operated by Kash Helicopter Services LLC, was involved in an accident near Norris City, Illinois, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 May 2021 at 18:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Norris City, Illinois, United States

Coordinates

37.9447, -88.3379

Aircraft

Richards Heavylift Helo UH-1H

Registration

N567VF

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1966

Engines

1

Operator

Kash Helicopter Services LLC

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Mount Vernon → New Haven

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN21LA212

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s improper positioning of the helicopter on the landing pad, and his failure to monitor and control the helicopter as fuel and chemical product were loaded, which led to the helicopter tipping and sliding off the landing pad, and subsequently impacting the ground.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that after landing on a trailer landing pad for the purpose of hot refueling and loading chemical product onboard, on completing those actions, the helicopter slid backwards off the trailer impacting the ground. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and tail boom. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operations. The operator reported that the helicopter’s center of gravity required that both skid cross tubes be positioned over the landing pad, which required the front cross tube to be placed precisely near the front of the landing pad. The ground crew and pilot were unsure of the helicopter’s position when it landed but recognized that it was possibly too far aft. Following the accident, the operator installed extensions to the landing pad to provide a larger landing area for the helicopter.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.