What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Interview with the pilot yielded statment to the effect that he privacy data omitted had lost his orientation in reference to a three strand barded wire cattle fence as he was hovering about 5 feet above a friend's property. According toprivacy data omittedexplaination, as he conducted the hover, a bull came into view within yards of his position. As he turned the aircraft to orient toward the bull in order to get a better view of the animal. He inadvertantly hooked one of the landing skids into the barded wire fence. The aircraft dropped abruptly and rested upon its port side. No fire,fluid leaks, scorch marks or other such evidence of flame was observed at the crash site. The pilot escaped without injury. No property damage or injury to anyone on the ground was observed or reported. (.4)the pilot had approached the field from the west, and came to a stop about halfway into the field, about 6 to 8 feet above the ground, turned 90 degrees to the north, stopped, and started a turn to the west. The helicopter hesitated to turn, started to turn east, drifted north, hooked a barred wire fence with the right side skid, and lost control.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT YIELDED STATMENT TO THE EFFECT THAT HE ^PRIVACY D^ HAD LOST HIS ORIENTATION IN REFERENCE TO A THREE STRAND BARDED WIRE CATTLE FENCE AS HE WAS HOVERING ABOUT 5 FEET ABOVE A FRIEND'S PROPERTY. ACCORDING TO^PRIVACY DAT^EXPLAINATION, AS HE CONDUCTED THE HOVER, A BULL CAME INTO VIEW WITHIN YARDS OF HIS POSITION. AS HE TURNED THE AIRCRAFT TO ORIENT TOWARD THE BULL IN ORDER TO GET A BETTER VIEW OF THE ANIMAL. HE INADVERTANTLY HOOKED ONE OF THE LANDING SKIDS INTO THE BARDED WIRE FENCE. THE AIRCRAFT DROPPED ABRUPTLY AND RESTED UPON ITS PORT SIDE. NO FIRE,FLUID LEAKS, SCORCH MARKS OR OTHER SUCH EVIDENCE OF FLAME WAS OBSERVED AT THE CRASH SITE. THE PILOT ESCAPED WITHOUT INJURY. NO PROPERTY DAMAGE OR INJURY TO ANYONE ON THE GROUND WAS OBSERVED OR REPORTED. (.4)THE PILOT HAD APPROACHED THE FIELD FROM THE WEST, AND CAME TO A STOP ABOUT HALFWAY INTO THE FIELD, ABOUT 6 TO 8 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, TURNED 90 DEGREES TO THE NORTH, STOPPED, AND STARTED A TURN TO THE WEST. THE HELICOPTER HESITATED TO TURN, STARTED TO TURN EAST, DRIFTED NORTH, HOOKED A BARRED WIRE FENCE WITH THE RIGHT SIDE SKID, AND LOST CONTROL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.