What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Witnesses reported that a local tv news helicopter (1965 Hughes OH-6A) was flying low, turned, and crashed into a marsh, other circumstances are unknown. (.4) the helicopter was in a 4-TO 6-foot hover above the marsh's surface, maneuvering for film shooting. The pilot stated the helicopter began to spin clockwise despite his applying full left anti-torque pedal. Increasing collective did not remedy the uncommanded yawing, so he lowered collective and power, and settled into the marsh, collapsing the left skid and the three occupied seats. The tail boom was severed by a main rotor blade strike. Winds were from the south to southwest at 15 knots. Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of precrash failure or malfunction of the helicopter's flight controls, structure, or rotor drive system. (-23)on June 25, 1999, at 1830 EDT, a Hughes 369-OH6A crashed at Murrells Inlet, SC. The helicopter impacted the marsh water, in a left skid down attitude and came to rest in approximately four feet of water at high tide. The main rotor blade on impact severed the tail boom and tail rotor drive shaft. The helicopter departed from myrtle beach international airport (myr) , myrtle beach, south carolina approximately one hour earlier. The helicopter sustained substantial damage. The pilot sustained serious injuries, the two passengers sustained minor injuries.
As the FAA filed it
WITNESSES REPORTED THAT A LOCAL TV NEWS HELICOPTER (1965 HUGHES OH-6A) WAS FLYING LOW, TURNED, AND CRASHED INTO A MARSH, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.4) THE HELICOPTER WAS IN A 4-TO 6-FOOT HOVER ABOVE THE MARSH'S SURFACE, MANEUVERING FOR FILM SHOOTING. THE PILOT STATED THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO SPIN CLOCKWISE DESPITE HIS APPLYING FULL LEFT ANTI-TORQUE PEDAL. INCREASING COLLECTIVE DID NOT REMEDY THE UNCOMMANDED YAWING, SO HE LOWERED COLLECTIVE AND POWER, AND SETTLED INTO THE MARSH, COLLAPSING THE LEFT SKID AND THE THREE OCCUPIED SEATS. THE TAIL BOOM WAS SEVERED BY A MAIN ROTOR BLADE STRIKE. WINDS WERE FROM THE SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST AT 15 KNOTS. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PRECRASH FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE HELICOPTER'S FLIGHT CONTROLS, STRUCTURE, OR ROTOR DRIVE SYSTEM. (-23)ON JUNE 25, 1999, AT 1830 EDT, A HUGHES 369-OH6A CRASHED AT MURRELLS INLET, SC. THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE MARSH WATER, IN A LEFT SKID DOWN ATTITUDE AND CAME TO REST IN APPROXIMATELY FOUR FEET OF WATER AT HIGH TIDE. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE ON IMPACT SEVERED THE TAIL BOOM AND TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT. THE HELICOPTER DEPARTED FROM MYRTLE BEACH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (MYR) , MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR EARLIER. THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES, THE TWO PASSENGERS SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.