What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Helicopter made hard left turn, followed by hard right, main rotor struck tail rotor. Crashed and burned. (.19) on October 12, 1996, at 1755 hours pacific daylight time, an experimental rotorway exec helicopter, N18WC, crashed at Mather airport, Mather, California. The pilot was conducting a local visual flight rules personal flight. The helicopter, registered to and operated by the pilot, was destroyed by impact forces and the resulting postimpact fire. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed with the winds estimated by witnesses to be at 10 to 15 miles per hour with gusts. The flight departed Mather airport at an undetermined time. Ground witnesses reported that they observed the helicopter execute a hard right turn followed by a hard left turn with some oscillations. During this maneuver, the main rotor blades struck the tailboom. The helicopter entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed. (.4) the pilot of a home built helicopter was attempting to drop an object (bag of flour) to a target on the ground. Approaching the target area, the helicopter was observed to maneuver, then it went out of control and crashed. Investigation revealed evidence that the main rotor blades contacted and severed the tailboom. Also, there was evidence of mast bumping. The helicopter was equipped with composite main rotor blades; kit/factory approved blades were made of metal. No mechanical malfunction was found.
As the FAA filed it
HELICOPTER MADE HARD LEFT TURN, FOLLOWED BY HARD RIGHT, MAIN ROTOR STRUCK TAIL ROTOR. CRASHED AND BURNED. (.19) ON OCTOBER 12, 1996, AT 1755 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL ROTORWAY EXEC HELICOPTER, N18WC, CRASHED AT MATHER AIRPORT, MATHER, CALIFORNIA. THE PILOT WAS CONDUCTING A LOCAL VISUAL FLIGHT RULES PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE HELICOPTER, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT FORCES AND THE RESULTING POSTIMPACT FIRE. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED WITH THE WINDS ESTIMATED BY WITNESSES TO BE AT 10 TO 15 MILES PER HOUR WITH GUSTS. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED MATHER AIRPORT AT AN UNDETERMINED TIME. GROUND WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THEY OBSERVED THE HELICOPTER EXECUTE A HARD RIGHT TURN FOLLOWED BY A HARD LEFT TURN WITH SOME OSCILLATIONS. DURING THIS MANEUVER, THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE TAILBOOM. THE HELICOPTER ENTERED AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT AND CRASHED. (.4) THE PILOT OF A HOME BUILT HELICOPTER WAS ATTEMPTING TO DROP AN OBJECT (BAG OF FLOUR) TO A TARGET ON THE GROUND. APPROACHING THE TARGET AREA, THE HELICOPTER WAS OBSERVED TO MANEUVER, THEN IT WENT OUT OF CONTROL AND CRASHED. INVESTIGATION REVEALED EVIDENCE THAT THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED AND SEVERED THE TAILBOOM. ALSO, THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF MAST BUMPING. THE HELICOPTER WAS EQUIPPED WITH COMPOSITE MAIN ROTOR BLADES; KIT/FACTORY APPROVED BLADES WERE MADE OF METAL. NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.