What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On climbout turned to avoid traffic. Distracted failed to note descent. Impacted ground hard. Rolled over. (.4) the pilot held a private certificate for single engine land airplanes and was piloting the helicopter on a supervised solo flight at the time of the accident. He reported that he had 307 hours in airplanes and 23 hours in the helicopter with one hour solo, at the time of the accident. He stated that on initial takeoff adjacent to runway 25, he was aware of an airplane departing on runway 25 and when it came into his sight, high and to his left, he turned to confirm its presence. When he turned back, he found that he had allowed the helicopter to pitch nose high and responded by moving the cyclic control forward. He described losing control of the helicopter and he was able to recover to a near level condition at touchdown. The helicopter touched down hard and rolled onto its right side.
As the FAA filed it
ON CLIMBOUT TURNED TO AVOID TRAFFIC. DISTRACTED FAILED TO NOTE DESCENT.IMPACTED GROUND HARD. ROLLED OVER. (.4) THE PILOT HELD A PRIVATE CERTIFICATE FOR SINGLE ENGINE LAND AIRPLANES AND WAS PILOTING THE HELICOPTER ON A SUPERVISED SOLO FLIGHT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. HE REPORTED THAT HE HAD 307 HOURS IN AIRPLANES AND 23 HOURS IN THE HELICOPTER WITH ONE HOUR SOLO, AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. HE STATED THAT ON INITIAL TAKEOFF ADJACENT TO RUNWAY 25, HE WAS AWARE OF AN AIRPLANE DEPARTING ON RUNWAY 25 AND WHEN IT CAME INTO HIS SIGHT, HIGH AND TO HIS LEFT, HE TURNED TO CONFIRM ITS PRESENCE. WHEN HE TURNED BACK, HE FOUND THAT HE HAD ALLOWED THE HELICOPTER TO PITCH NOSE HIGH AND RESPONDED BY MOVING THE CYCLIC CONTROL FORWARD. HE DESCRIBED LOSING CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER AND HE WAS ABLE TO RECOVER TO A NEAR LEVEL CONDITION AT TOUCHDOWN. THE HELICOPTER TOUCHED DOWN HARD AND ROLLED ONTO ITS RIGHT SIDE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.