The rotorcraft accidents and incidents listed below occurred from Jan. 1 to Mar. 31, 2021.
The accident details shown are preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. All information was obtained through the official websites included below, where you can learn more details about each event.
Australia – Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB)
Canada – Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSBC): bit.ly/3c6evf2
United States – National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
January 2021
Bell 47D
Marana, AZ, USA
Jan. 1, 2021 | NTSB WPR21LA077
1 injury, 0 fatalities | Instructional flight
No description available.
Robinson R44 II
Near Eaglesham, Alberta, Canada
Jan. 1, 2021 | TSB A21W0001
0 injuries, 4 fatalities | N/A
Helicopter impacted terrain and was destroyed for undetermined reasons.
Hughes 369D
Winthrop, WA, USA
Jan. 9, 2021 | NTSB WPR21LA084
0 injuries, 0 fatalities | Positioning flight
No description available.
Robinson R44
Albany, TX, USA
Jan. 9, 2021 | NTSB CEN21LA109
0 injuries, 0 fatalities | Hog hunting flight
Helicopter substantially damaged during autorotative landing following loss of engine power.
Hiller UH-12C
Lafayette, IN, USA
Jan. 12, 2021 | NTSB CEN21LA124
0 injuries, 0 fatalities | Personal flight
No description available.
Hughes 269C
Spanish Fork, UT, USA
Jan. 13, 2021 | NTSB WPR21LA086
0 injuries, 0 fatalities | Instructional flight
During autorotation training and attempted power recovery, aircraft impacted terrain and was substantially damaged.
McDonnell Douglas 369E
Queen Creek, AZ, USA
Jan. 22, 2021 | NTSB WPR21LA093
0 injuries, 0 fatalities | Personal flight
No description available.
McDonnell Douglas 600N
Mankato, MN, USA
Jan. 22, 2021 | NTSB CEN21LA116
0 injuries, 0 fatalities | External-load flight
No description available.
Robinson R22
West Palm Beach, FL, USA
Jan. 26, 2021 | NTSB ERA21LA117
0 injuries, 0 fatalities | Instructional flight
No description available.
Robinson R66
Knoxville, TN, USA
Jan. 30, 2021 | NTSB ERA21LA121
0 injuries, 0 fatalities | Personal flight
No description available.
February 2021
Bell 206B
Pahokee, FL, USA
Feb. 4, 2021 | NTSB ERA21LA126
0 injuries, 0 fatalities | Agricultural flight
During hover over a sugarcane field, pilot responded to rotor rpm decay and attempted an autorotation. The helicopter was destroyed after ground impact and rollover.
Hughes OH-6A
Horseshoe Bend, ID, USA
Feb. 5, 2021 | NTSB WPR21LA107
2 injuries, 0 fatalities | Wildlife damage-management flight
Helicopter substantially damaged after reported power loss and impact with terrain.
MD Helicopters 369E
Mesa, AZ, USA
Feb. 8, 2021 | NTSB WPR21LA109
0 injuries, 0 fatalities | Instructional flight
No description available.
Robinson R22
Far North Queensland, Australia
Feb. 11, 2021 | ATSB AO-2021-006
0 injuries, 1 fatality | Positioning flight
Helicopter impacted terrain for unknown reasons.
Leonardo AW119 MkII
Alexandria, MN, USA
Feb. 13, 2021 | NTSB CEN21LA128
0 injuries, 0 fatalities | Air medical flight
No description available.
Bell 206
Saint Thomas, US Virgin Islands
Feb. 15, 2021 | NTSB ERA21FA130
0 injuries, 4 fatalities | Aerial observation flight
Helicopter impacted steep terrain and was destroyed in postcrash fire. Video showed smoke from engine area before descent and impact.
Bell OH-58
Greensburg, LA, USA
Feb. 22, 2021 | NTSB CEN21LA135
3 injuries, 0 fatalities | Public aircraft
No description available.
Eurocopter EC130 B4
Tulsa, OK, USA
Feb. 24, 2021 | NTSB CEN21LA153
0 injuries, 0 fatalities | Air medical flight
No description available.
Hughes 369
Kaufman, TX, USA
Feb. 26, 2021 | NTSB CEN21LA139
0 injuries, 0 fatalities | Aerial observation flight
No description available.
March 2021
Airbus AS355
Buckingham, England
Mar. 2, 2021 | NTSB G-BOSN
0 injuries, 0 fatalities | N/A
No description available.
Robinson R22
Kodiak, AK, USA
Mar. 2, 2021 | NTSB ANC21LA020
0 injuries, 1 fatality | Personal flight
Helicopter was lost at sea and presumed destroyed after water impact 70 mi. north of Kodiak, Alaska. The pilot and sole occupant is missing and presumed fatally injured.
Leonardo AW139
Victoria, Australia
Mar. 4, 2021 | ATSB AO-2021-010
0 injuries, 0 fatalities | Aerial work
The flight crew climbed and safely recovered the helicopter after encountering IMC at low altitude and responding to a ground-proximity warning system.
Bell 212
Bowen Island, British Columbia, Canada
Mar. 5, 2021 | TSB A21P0018
2 injuries, 0 fatalities | Hydrological support flight
After indications of system failure, flight crew attempted emergency landing and lost control of helicopter, resulting in terrain impact.
Robinson R66
Duson, LA, USA
Mar. 9, 2021 | NTSB CEN21LA154
0 injuries, 0 fatalities | Personal flight
No description available.
Bell 206B
Laton, CA, USA
Mar. 13, 2021 | NTSB WPR21LA130
1 injury, 0 fatalities | Agricultural flight
No description available.
Robinson R44
Rosh Pinna, Israel
Mar. 13, 2021 | NTSB N97KC
Minor injuries reported | Flight type unknown
No description available.
Robinson R44
Pretoria, South Africa
Mar. 15, 2021 | NTSB ZS-OVV
0 injuries, 0 fatalities | Flight type unknown
No description available.
Bell 206L-3
Lucerne Valley, CA, USA
Mar. 16, 2021 | NTSB WPR21LA133
2 injuries, 0 fatalities | Personal flight
No description available.
Robinson R44
Leksand, Sweden
Mar. 17, 2021 | NTSB SE-JVF
Fatality reported | Flight type unknown
No description available.
Bell 206
Xiamen, China
Mar. 19, 2021 | NTSB B-7720
Fatality reported | Flight type unknown
No description available.
Hughes 369D
Lake City, KS, USA
Mar. 25, 2021 | NTSB CEN21LA165
0 injuries, 0 fatalities | External-load flight
No description available.
Leonardo AW139
Katoomba, New South Wales, Australia
Mar. 26, 2021 | ATSB AO-2021-018
0 injuries, 0 fatalities | Air medical flight
Helicopter sustained overtorque during night-vision goggles (NVG) winch operations after near impact with terrain.
Robinson R44
Dustin, OK, USA
Mar. 26, 2021 | NTSB CEN21LA173
4 injuries, 0 fatalities | Aerial observation flight
Helicopter substantially damaged following a loss of power and forced landing.
Airbus AS350 B3
Palmer, AK, USA
Mar. 27, 2021 | NTSB WPR21FA143
1 injury, 5 fatalities | Air taxi and commuter flight
During heli-ski flight, helicopter impacted mountainous terrain and was destroyed.
Bell OH-58
Pottsboro, TX, USA
Mar. 27, 2021 | NTSB CEN21LA169
1 injury, 0 fatalities | Personal flight
No description available.
Enstrom 480
Woodstock, CT, USA
Oct. 10, 2020 | NTSB ERA21LA016
1 injury, 0 fatalities | Personal flight
No description available.
Bell 206
Zephyrhills, FL, USA
Oct. 16, 2020 | NTSB ERA21LA023
0 injuries, 0 fatalities | Personal flight
Helicopter sustained substantial damage during attempted autorotative landing following pilot-reported low-rotor RPM aural alarm.
Robinson R44
Pahrump, NV, USA
Oct. 16, 2020 | NTSB WPR21LA021
2 injuries, 0 fatalities | Business flight
No description available.
Robinson R22
Winder, GA, USA
Oct. 18, 2020 | NTSB ERA21LA024
1 injury, 0 fatalities | Personal flight
Helicopter impacted terrain, sustaining substantial damage, after pilot suspected a loss of power.
Robinson R44 II
Washington, WI, USA
Oct. 18, 2020 | NTSB CEN21LA021
0 injuries, 0 fatalities | Personal flight
No description available.
Bell 206
Point Lookout, NY, USA
Oct. 21, 2020 | NTSB ERA21LA028
1 injury, 0 fatalities | Personal flight
Helicopter settled into shallow water, sustaining substantial damage, after pilot reported entering IMC and a loss of yaw control.
Eurocopter AS350 B3
Silver City, NM, USA
Oct. 26, 2020 | NTSB WPR21LA027
1 injury, 0 fatalities | Positioning flight
No description available.
Hughes 369
Honolulu, HI, USA
Oct. 27, 2020 | NTSB ANC21LA003
0 injuries, 0 fatalities | External-load flight
During external-load operations, pilot reported helicopter lost power made impact with trees during attempted emergency landing.
November 2020
Agusta A109
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Nov. 6, 2020 | NTSB WPR21LA039
1 injury, 0 fatalities | Organ transport flight
During a steep approach to an elevated helipad, helicopter entered an uncontrollable right yaw, made impact with helipad, and rolled onto its left side.
Schweizer 269C
Rhame, ND, USA
Nov. 7, 2020 | NTSB CEN21LA081
0 injuries, 0 fatalities | General aviation flight
No description available.
Bell 206
Raleigh, NC, USA
Nov. 8, 2020 | NTSB ERA21LA040
0 injuries, 0 fatalities | General aviation flight
No description available.
Aérospatiale AS355
Hammonton, NJ, USA
Nov. 14, 2020 | NTSB ERA21LA043
0 injuries, 0 fatalities | Business flight
No description available.
Robinson R44
Austell, GA, USA
Nov. 18, 2020 | NTSB ERA21LA046
0 injuries, 0 fatalities | Instructional flight
No description available.
December 2020
Robinson R44
Marulan South, New South Wales, Australia
Dec. 2, 2020 | ATSB AO-2020-061
0 injuries, 2 fatalities | Training flight
Helicopter made impact with terrain and was destroyed in postcrash fire.
Robinson R44 II
Marietta, TX, USA
Dec. 5, 2020 | NTSB CEN21LA077
0 injuries, 0 fatalities | Personal flight
No description available.
Robinson R44
Colorado City, TX, USA
Dec. 10, 2020 | NTSB CEN21LA084
0 injuries, 2 fatalities | Business flight
Helicopter crashed for unknown reasons, leaving a 400-yard debris field.
Robinson R44
Morris, IL, USA
Dec. 20, 2020 | NTSB CEN21LA095
1 injury, 0 fatalities | Personal flight
No description available.
Robinson R44
Clare, South Australia, Australia
Dec. 22, 2020 | ATSB AO-2020-064
0 injuries, 0 fatalities | Agricultural flight
During attempted landing after aerial application flight, helicopter collided with vehicle and sustained substantial damage.
Hughes 369D
Tuckers Crossing, MS, USA
Dec. 29, 2020 | NTSB CEN21LA102
0 injuries, 1 fatality | External-load flight
While conducting aerial tree trimming with suspended saw, pilot attempted emergency landing, but helicopter made impact with trees and terrain and was consumed by postcrash fire.
