NTSB Factual Report

On June 19, 2018, about 1406 eastern daylight time, a Bell OH-58A, N303HP, operated by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, was substantially damaged during takeoff at the Garner Road Heliport (3NC2), Raleigh, North Carolina. The commercial pilot and passenger sustained minor injuries. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed for the local public use flight.

According to the pilot, he moved the helicopter from the hangar to the helipad using an electric/hydraulic transporter attached to the helicopter skids. During his preflight preparation, as he unhooked the transporter clamp from the left skid, the passenger, seated in the left front co-pilot seat, inquired about removing the controls from the co-pilot's side of the helicopter. The pilot had not intended to remove them, though he decided to do so after the passenger's inquiry. After removing the controls, he continued with the preflight inspection; however, he reported that he forgot to unhook the transporter from the right skid. Subsequently during the takeoff, the helicopter rolled to the right until the main rotor blades struck the ground.

The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for rotorcraft-helicopter and instrument helicopter. He held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane-single engine land. His most recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) second-class medical certificate was issued March 26, 2018, at which time he reported 882 total hours of flight experience. He reported a total of 732 hours in make and model of the accident helicopter.

The helicopter was manufactured in 1970 by Bell Helicopter. It was equipped with a Rolls Royce (Allison) T63-A-720, 317-shaft horsepower engine. The helicopter's airframe and engine had accrued 9,093 and 3,959 hours total time, respectively. A 100-hour inspection was completed on May 24, 2018, and the engine accrued 19.5 hours since that inspection. The engine had accumulated 2,184 hours since overhaul.

The helicopter was examined by an FAA inspector and all major components were accounted for at the scene. The helicopter came to rest on its left side, partially inverted. Examination revealed substantial damage to the fuselage, tail boom, and main rotor blades. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

Review of the operator's standard operating procedures indicated that single crewmember operations could be conducted with passengers aboard if the mission dictated such a crew and a first line supervisor authorized the single crew flight. Written procedures also required that "aircrews will assist each other . . . to assure a thorough pre-flight inspection…" and that "the Pilot and Co-Pilot will be aware and avoid all potential distractions and/or interruptions during their pre-flight activities." On the day of the accident, the helicopter was weight-limited with a passenger on board and therefore the flight was authorized to operate with a single pilot rather than the standard two-pilot crew.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection, during which he failed to detach ground handling equipment from the helicopter before initiating the takeoff, which resulted in the subsequent dynamic rollover.