What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative: on Monday, 1/27/97, at approximately 0915 hours local, private pilot evan j. sherman and his recently assembled amateur-built rotorway helicopter were inside a building on his land. After making adjustments to the main rotor system on the aircraft, Mr. Sherman retrieved a snow-covered flat-bed trailer from the snowy freezing weather outside (about 20 degrees f), and brought it into the building. After awhile, without realizing that the snow on the flatbed had melted due to the warmth in the building, he placed the helicopter on the flatbed's wet floor. He then pulled the trailer outside into the cold. Then, without securing the helicopter to the trailer floor, he started it and left it to warm up. After returning to the aircraft about 20 minutes later, with no intention to fly, he entered it and began to perform an operational ground run, including a track and balance check of the main rotor system. When Mr. Sherman gradually applied power, which inadvertently became excessive, the right landing gear skid, which had frozen to the flatbed, suddenly broke free of the ice. The helicopter then suddenly snap rolled to the left, which broke the left landing gear skid free of the ice. The helicopter then continued the instantaneous roll to the left, which caused the helicopter to become airborne sideways until the rotor blades struck the earth. The impacting blades then walked the helicopter to disintegrate along the way. Mr. Sherman survived and was hospitalized due to a broken collar bone, cracked ribs, and other bruises. The assigned inspector has counseled Mr. Sherman in ground safety procedures. No other action is anticipated.
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE: ON MONDAY, 1/27/97, AT APPROXIMATELY 0915 HOURS LOCAL, PRIVATE PILOT EVAN J. SHERMAN AND HIS RECENTLY ASSEMBLED AMATEUR-BUILT ROTORWAY HELICOPTER WERE INSIDE A BUILDING ON HIS LAND. AFTER MAKING ADJUSTMENTS TO THE MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM ON THE AIRCRAFT, MR. SHERMAN RETRIEVED A SNOW-COVERED FLAT-BED TRAILER FROM THE SNOWY FREEZING WEATHER OUTSIDE (ABOUT 20 DEGREES F), AND BROUGHT IT INTO THE BUILDING. AFTER AWHILE, WITHOUT REALIZING THAT THE SNOW ON THE FLATBED HAD MELTED DUE TO THE WARMTH IN THE BUILDING, HE PLACED THE HELICOPTER ON THE FLATBED'S WET FLOOR. HE THEN PULLED THE TRAILER OUTSIDE INTO THE COLD. THEN, WITHOUT SECURING THE HELICOPTER TO THE TRAILER FLOOR, HE STARTED IT AND LEFT IT TO WARM UP. AFTER RETURNING TO THE AIRCRAFT ABOUT 20 MINUTES LATER, WITH NO INTENTION TO FLY, HE ENTERED IT AND BEGAN TO PERFORM AN OPERATIONAL GROUND RUN, INCLUDING A TRACK AND BALANCE CHECK OF THE MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM. WHEN MR. SHERMAN GRADUALLY APPLIED POWER, WHICH INADVERTENTLY BECAME EXCESSIVE, THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR SKID, WHICH HAD FROZEN TO THE FLATBED, SUDDENLY BROKE FREE OF THE ICE. THE HELICOPTER THEN SUDDENLY SNAP ROLLED TO THE LEFT, WHICH BROKE THE LEFT LANDING GEAR SKID FREE OF THE ICE. THE HELICOPTER THEN CONTINUED THE INSTANTANEOUS ROLL TO THE LEFT, WHICH CAUSED THE HELICOPTER TO BECOME AIRBORNE SIDEWAYS UNTIL THE ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE EARTH. THE IMPACTING BLADES THEN WALKED THE HELICOPTER TO DISINTEGRATE ALONG THE WAY. MR. SHERMAN SURVIVED AND WAS HOSPITALIZED DUE TO A BROKEN COLLAR BONE, CRACKED RIBS, AND OTHER BRUISES. THE ASSIGNED INSPECTOR HAS COUNSELED MR. SHERMAN IN GROUND SAFETY PROCEDURES. NO OTHER ACTION IS ANTICIPATED.