What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Heli crashed under unknown circumstance, pilot suffered fatal inj, acft was destroyed, Round Top, TX. (.4) the non-instrument private helicopter pilot encountered fog and low ceilings while en route on a 132 mile VFR cross country flight. Witnesses near the accident site reported observing the helicopter in a nose down attitude and hearing the sound of impact with trees. Visibility in the vicinity of the accident site was reported by several witnesses to be as low as 100 feet and as high as 1/4 of a mile. The ceiling was obscured due to fog. Residents in the area reported that fog has a tendency to form that time of the year around sunrise. Physical evidence and signatures at the accident site indicate that the helicopter impacted the trees and terrain in a 45 degree nose low attitude in a slight right turn. The accident occurred at 0807 local time and sunrise occurred at 0619. The pilot had accumulated a total of 187 flight hours. No evidence of pre-impact mechanical failure or malfunction was observed at the accident site. No anomalies were found during the investigation that could have prevented normal flight operation. (-23) according to eye witness the weather was low ceiling and fog. She heard the helicopter circling, when she saw it, the helicopter pitched nose down approximately 45 degrees nose down and crashed into the ground.
As the FAA filed it
HELI CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCE, PILOT SUFFERED FATAL INJ, ACFT WAS DESTROYED, ROUND TOP, TX. (.4) THE NON-INSTRUMENT PRIVATE HELICOPTER PILOT ENCOUNTERED FOG AND LOW CEILINGS WHILE EN ROUTE ON A 132 MILE VFR CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT. WITNESSES NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE REPORTED OBSERVING THE HELICOPTER IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AND HEARING THE SOUND OF IMPACT WITH TREES. VISIBILITY IN THE VICINITY OF THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS REPORTED BY SEVERAL WITNESSES TO BE AS LOW AS 100 FEET AND AS HIGH AS 1/4 OF A MILE. THE CEILING WAS OBSCURED DUE TO FOG. RESIDENTS IN THE AREA REPORTED THAT FOG HAS A TENDENCY TO FORM THAT TIME OF THE YEAR AROUND SUNRISE. PHYSICAL EVIDENCE AND SIGNATURES AT THE ACCIDENT SITE INDICATE THAT THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE TREES AND TERRAIN IN A 45 DEGREE NOSE LOW ATTITUDE IN A SLIGHT RIGHT TURN. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT 0807 LOCAL TIME AND SUNRISE OCCURRED AT 0619. THE PILOT HAD ACCUMULATED A TOTAL OF 187 FLIGHT HOURS. NO EVIDENCE OF PRE-IMPACT MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS OBSERVED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. NO ANOMALIES WERE FOUND DURING THE INVESTIGATION THAT COULD HAVE PREVENTED NORMAL FLIGHT OPERATION. (-23) ACCORDING TO EYE WITNESS THE WEATHER WAS LOW CEILING AND FOG. SHE HEARD THE HELICOPTER CIRCLING, WHEN SHE SAW IT, THE HELICOPTER PITCHED NOSE DOWN APPROXIMATELY 45 DEGREES NOSE DOWN AND CRASHED INTO THE GROUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.