What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot was practicing touch and go landings when it struck a 300 foot tower and crashed. (-23) on Monday October 5, 1998, about 1415 EST, a Enstrom helicopter model #280F, N8619N, registered to Bow aircraft services, LLC., collided with the top of a 330 ft. weather tower while on approach to a private helicopter landing area in Bow, new hampshire. The pilot. Mr. Robert s. audley, stated in an interview that he was practicing landings at his heliport for about 1 1/2 hours. When he approached the landing area to the north west, the helicopter was crabbing because of the wind, and a strong gust of wind pushed him south east, where the right (blind) side of the helicopter struck the tower. The tower was initially struck by the tail boom approximately three feet forward of the tail rotor, impaling the tail section into the top of the tower and tearing the tail boom as an assembly, from the main body of the helicopter. The helicopter spiraled to the ground coming to rest on the left canopy/skid, approximately 600 feet south east of the tower. The pilot shut off the engine and evacuated the area. After a couple of minutes a post crash fire started and totally destroyed the helicopter. The pilot received minor injuries. The winds reported at concord, NH., about 4 miles north of the crash site, were reported to be from 350 degrees at 13 knots, with gusts to 20 knots. The pilot certificate ratings included rotorcraft-helicopter/private pilot. The date of Mr. Audley's last medical was November 03, 1989.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT WAS PRACTICING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS WHEN IT STRUCK A 300 FOOT TOWER AND CRASHED. (-23) ON MONDAY OCTOBER 5, 1998, ABOUT 1415 EST, A ENSTROM HELICOPTER MODEL #280F, N8619N, REGISTERED TO BOW AIRCRAFT SERVICES, LLC., COLLIDED WITH THE TOP OF A 330 FT. WEATHER TOWER WHILE ON APPROACH TO A PRIVATE HELICOPTER LANDING AREA IN BOW, NEW HAMPSHIRE. THE PILOT. MR. ROBERT S. AUDLEY, STATED IN AN INTERVIEW THAT HE WAS PRACTICING LANDINGS AT HIS HELIPORT FOR ABOUT 1 1/2 HOURS. WHEN HE APPROACHED THE LANDING AREA TO THE NORTH WEST, THE HELICOPTER WAS CRABBING BECAUSE OF THE WIND, AND A STRONG GUST OF WIND PUSHED HIM SOUTH EAST, WHERE THE RIGHT (BLIND) SIDE OF THE HELICOPTER STRUCK THE TOWER. THE TOWER WAS INITIALLY STRUCK BY THE TAIL BOOM APPROXIMATELY THREE FEET FORWARD OF THE TAIL ROTOR, IMPALING THE TAIL SECTION INTO THE TOP OF THE TOWER AND TEARING THE TAIL BOOM AS AN ASSEMBLY, FROM THE MAIN BODY OF THE HELICOPTER. THE HELICOPTER SPIRALED TO THE GROUND COMING TO REST ON THE LEFT CANOPY/SKID, APPROXIMATELY 600 FEET SOUTH EAST OF THE TOWER. THE PILOT SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AND EVACUATED THE AREA. AFTER A COUPLE OF MINUTES A POST CRASH FIRE STARTED AND TOTALLY DESTROYED THE HELICOPTER. THE PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE WINDS REPORTED AT CONCORD, NH., ABOUT 4 MILES NORTH OF THE CRASH SITE, WERE REPORTED TO BE FROM 350 DEGREES AT 13 KNOTS, WITH GUSTS TO 20 KNOTS. THE PILOT CERTIFICATE RATINGS INCLUDED ROTORCRAFT-HELICOPTER/PRIVATE PILOT. THE DATE OF MR. AUDLEY'S LAST MEDICAL WAS NOVEMBER 03, 1989.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.