What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Departed controlled flight. Impacted a residence garage. Strong gusty winds in area. (.4)a witness observed the helicopter fly over his apartment building within 100 feet. He watched the helicopter travel away from the building on a southwesterly heading in a level attitude. The witness estimated the helicopter to be approximately 350 feet above the ground. The witness said he saw the helicopter begin a slow banked turn to the left toward a southerly heading. The helicopter banked through 30 degrees up to 90 degrees, then it pitched down and descended in a 70 to 80 degree nose-down pitch angle. The witness lost sight of the helicopter when it descended below the tree tops. Another witness in the same building said that as the helicopter was going to the west, it was getting closer to the tree tops. The witness said that the helicopter 'banked real hard [to the] south, so that the [main rotor] blades were perpendicular to the ground. The helicopter went straight down in a dive, nose first.' The witness said that the helicopter was only 15 feet above the tree tops when it dove in. Examination of the wreckage r evealed no anomalies. The results of FAA toxicology testing of specimens from the pilot revealed 0.007 (ug/ml,UG/G0 chlorpheniramine detected in urine. (-23) while conducting part 91 aerial photo flight at low altitude (below 500 feet AGL in congested residential area), the aircraft entered a shallow left bank which continued into an inverted condition on impact with a residential house. Aircraft impact was near vertical (approx 63 degrees down) - inverted- and with a hi "g" force impact signature.
As the FAA filed it
DEPARTED CONTROLLED FLIGHT. IMPACTED A RESIDENCE GARAGE. STRONG GUSTY WINDS IN AREA. (.4)A WITNESS OBSERVED THE HELICOPTER FLY OVER HIS APARTMENT BUILDING WITHIN 100 FEET. HE WATCHED THE HELICOPTER TRAVEL AWAY FROM THE BUILDING ON A SOUTHWESTERLY HEADING IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE. THE WITNESS ESTIMATED THE HELICOPTER TO BE APPROXIMATELY 350 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE WITNESS SAID HE SAW THE HELICOPTER BEGIN A SLOW BANKED TURN TO THE LEFT TOWARD A SOUTHERLY HEADING. THE HELICOPTER BANKED THROUGH 30 DEGREES UP TO 90 DEGREES, THEN IT PITCHED DOWN AND DESCENDED IN A 70 TO 80 DEGREE NOSE-DOWN PITCH ANGLE. THE WITNESS LOST SIGHT OF THE HELICOPTER WHEN IT DESCENDED BELOW THE TREE TOPS. ANOTHER WITNESS IN THE SAME BUILDING SAID THAT AS THE HELICOPTER WAS GOING TO THE WEST, IT WAS GETTING CLOSER TO THE TREE TOPS. THE WITNESS SAID THAT THE HELICOPTER 'BANKED REAL HARD [TO THE] SOUTH, SO THAT THE [MAIN ROTOR] BLADES WERE PERPENDICULAR TO THE GROUND. THE HELICOPTER WENT STRAIGHT DOWN IN A DIVE, NOSE FIRST.' THE WITNESS SAID THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS ONLY 15 FEET ABOVE THE TREE TOPS WHEN IT DOVE IN. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE R EVEALED NO ANOMALIES. THE RESULTS OF FAA TOXICOLOGY TESTING OF SPECIMENS FROM THE PILOT REVEALED 0.007 (UG/ML,UG/G0 CHLORPHENIRAMINE DETECTED IN URINE. (-23) WHILE CONDUCTING PART 91 AERIAL PHOTO FLIGHT AT LOW ALTITUDE (BELOW 500 FEET AGL IN CONGESTED RESIDENTIAL AREA), THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A SHALLOW LEFT BANK WHICH CONTINUED INTO AN INVERTED CONDITION ON IMPACT WITH A RESIDENTIAL HOUSE. AIRCRAFT IMPACT WAS NEAR VERTICAL (APPROX 63 DEGREES DOWN) - INVERTED- AND WITH A HI "G" FORCE IMPACT SIGNATURE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.