What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23)On September 8, 1998, about 2114 eastern daylight time. A Bell BHT-47-G3B1, N73957, registered to clarke environmental mosquito management, operating as a 14 CFR part 91 public use flight, crashed during takeoff from a trailer mounted helipad near burkhead Ridge, florda. Visual meteorological conditiions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The helicopter received substantial damage, the trailer was slightly damaged, and the commericail-rated pilot was not injuried. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. According to the pilot's statement, a recent rain shower had wet everything previous to his takeoff. On liftoff, as the helicopter became light on its skids, a gust of wind from behind caused the craft to slide on the wet diamond metal plate platform enough to snag the toe of the right skid under a permanently mounted toolbox. As the pilot maneuvered to disengage the skid, he shifted rightward relative to the helipad centerline. And when he sat if back down the right skid slipped off the right edge of the trailer. The main rotor collided with the ground resulting in damage to the rotorcraft and the helipad. (.4) as the aerial application helicopter was lifting off the trailer mounted helipad, a gust of wind from behind caused the rotorcraft to lurch forward and snag the toe of the right skid under a toolbox. In the process of disengaging the skid, the pilot set down off-center and slipped off the helipad edge, causing substantial damage to the helicopter and minor damage to the helipad.
As the FAA filed it
(-23)ON SEPTEMBER 8, 1998, ABOUT 2114 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME. A BELL BHT-47-G3B1, N73957, REGISTERED TO CLARKE ENVIRONMENTAL MOSQUITO MANAGEMENT, OPERATING AS A 14 CFR PART 91 PUBLIC USE FLIGHT, CRASHED DURING TAKEOFF FROM A TRAILER MOUNTED HELIPAD NEAR BURKHEAD RIDGE, FLORDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE HELICOPTER RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, THE TRAILER WAS SLIGHTLY DAMAGED, AND THE COMMERICAIL-RATED PILOT WAS NOT INJURIED. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S STATEMENT, A RECENT RAIN SHOWER HAD WET EVERYTHING PREVIOUS TO HIS TAKEOFF. ON LIFTOFF, AS THE HELICOPTER BECAME LIGHT ON ITS SKIDS, A GUST OF WIND FROM BEHIND CAUSED THE CRAFT TO SLIDE ON THE WET DIAMOND METAL PLATE PLATFORM ENOUGH TO SNAG THE TOE OF THE RIGHT SKID UNDER A PERMANENTLY MOUNTED TOOLBOX. AS THE PILOT MANEUVERED TO DISENGAGE THE SKID, HE SHIFTED RIGHTWARD RELATIVE TO THE HELIPAD CENTERLINE. AND WHEN HE SAT IF BACK DOWN THE RIGHT SKID SLIPPED OFF THE RIGHT EDGE OF THE TRAILER. THE MAIN ROTOR COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE ROTORCRAFT AND THE HELIPAD. (.4) AS THE AERIAL APPLICATION HELICOPTER WAS LIFTING OFF THE TRAILER MOUNTED HELIPAD, A GUST OF WIND FROM BEHIND CAUSED THE ROTORCRAFT TO LURCH FORWARD AND SNAG THE TOE OF THE RIGHT SKID UNDER A TOOLBOX. IN THE PROCESS OF DISENGAGING THE SKID, THE PILOT SET DOWN OFF-CENTER AND SLIPPED OFF THE HELIPAD EDGE, CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE HELICOPTER AND MINOR DAMAGE TO THE HELIPAD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.