What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The helicopter was making am approach to a large pature in a rural area on a dark, moonless night; haze and smoke in the vicinity exacerbated the conditions. A company pick-up truck was postitoned at the FAR end of the pature with its headlights on to aid the approaching helicopter. The helicopter had activated its landign lights, taxi light, anf an auxillary night sun spotlight. The barometric altimeter in the helicopter had been set to the elevation of the departure airport (avon park, FL) within the previous hour, but the helicopter did not have radar altimeter installed. The pilot and his observer had landed in this pasture several times in the past and knew its elevation to be 40 feet MSL. The observer holds an ATP certificate for multiengine airplanes. The pilot stated that during the descent, the observer was making call-outs of airspeed and altitude to him.. At the "40 knots and 600 feet" call, the observer said, "I have ground contact." The pilot stated that he was focused on the truck headlights. The observer called, "500" [feet]. The observer called "450," and immediately thereafter the helicopter collided with the ground. (Pilot's first thought was that they had hit something in the air.) The helicopter stopped fast and rolled over onto its left side. The helicopter was destroyed.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE HELICOPTER WAS MAKING AM APPROACH TO A LARGE PATURE IN A RURAL AREA ON A DARK, MOONLESS NIGHT; HAZE AND SMOKE IN THE VICINITY EXACERBATED THE CONDITIONS. A COMPANY PICK-UP TRUCK WAS POSTITONED AT THE FAR END OF THE PATURE WITH ITS HEADLIGHTS ON TO AID THE APPROACHING HELICOPTER. THE HELICOPTER HAD ACTIVATED ITS LANDIGN LIGHTS, TAXI LIGHT, ANF AN AUXILLARY NIGHT SUN SPOTLIGHT. THE BAROMETRIC ALTIMETER IN THE HELICOPTER HAD BEEN SET TO THE ELEVATION OF THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT (AVON PARK, FL) WITHIN THE PREVIOUS HOUR, BUT THE HELICOPTER DID NOT HAVE RADAR ALTIMETER INSTALLED. THE PILOT AND HIS OBSERVER HAD LANDED IN THIS PASTURE SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST AND KNEW ITS ELEVATION TO BE 40 FEET MSL. THE OBSERVER HOLDS AN ATP CERTIFICATE FOR MULTIENGINE AIRPLANES. THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING THE DESCENT, THE OBSERVER WAS MAKING CALL-OUTS OF AIRSPEED AND ALTITUDE TO HIM.. AT THE "40 KNOTS AND 600 FEET" CALL, THE OBSERVER SAID, "I HAVE GROUND CONTACT." THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS FOCUSED ON THE TRUCK HEADLIGHTS. THE OBSERVER CALLED, "500" [FEET]. THE OBSERVER CALLED "450," AND IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER THE HELICOPTER COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND. (PILOT'S FIRST THOUGHT WAS THAT THEY HAD HIT SOMETHING IN THE AIR.) THE HELICOPTER STOPPED FAST AND ROLLED OVER ONTO ITS LEFT SIDE. THE HELICOPTER WAS DESTROYED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.