What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Lost power after liftoff. Had compressor stall. Hit ground. Cartwheeled. Masking flim blocked air intake. (-23) on April 8, 1997 @ 0844 an aerospatiale as 350B, N370WM, registered to and operated by the south Florida water management district, crashed on takeoff from pbi with a pilot and 4 passengers on board. The helicopter was destroyed and everybody aboard suffered serious injury. The helicopter departed form the jet aviation ramp where witnesses reported seeing some type of plastic depart the helicopter, and the witness recovered the plastic which was a clear type used to mask off areas for paint touch up. Shortly after departing jet aviation the helicopter crashed at the east end of the runway. One passenger was ejected from the helicopter and the remaining were rescued by bystanders.
As the FAA filed it
LOST POWER AFTER LIFTOFF. HAD COMPRESSOR STALL. HIT GROUND. CARTWHEELED. MASKING FLIM BLOCKED AIR INTAKE. (-23) ON APRIL 8, 1997 @ 0844 AN AEROSPATIALE AS 350B, N370WM, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, CRASHED ON TAKEOFF FROM PBI WITH A PILOT AND 4 PASSENGERS ON BOARD. THE HELICOPTER WAS DESTROYED AND EVERYBODY ABOARD SUFFERED SERIOUS INJURY. THE HELICOPTER DEPARTED FORM THE JET AVIATION RAMP WHERE WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING SOME TYPE OF PLASTIC DEPART THE HELICOPTER, AND THE WITNESS RECOVERED THE PLASTIC WHICH WAS A CLEAR TYPE USED TO MASK OFF AREAS FOR PAINT TOUCH UP. SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTING JET AVIATION THE HELICOPTER CRASHED AT THE EAST END OF THE RUNWAY. ONE PASSENGER WAS EJECTED FROM THE HELICOPTER AND THE REMAINING WERE RESCUED BY BYSTANDERS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.