What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 8/29/00 @ 1530 PDT Bell helicopter, N5758H crahsed on top to the los angeles county sheriff's dept. Parking structure in central los angeles. Investigation revealed that the helicopter after rising into a hover made two right hand 360 degree turns in about 3 seconds, then contacted the ground where the helicopter rolled on its left side causing the main rotor system to contact the ground without hitting the tail boom. Additionally, it was found that the tail rotor system also made contact with the ground. Investigation on site found no obvious failures or malfunctions at that time. Helicopter transported to the los angeles county sheriff's facility on the long beach airport awaiting NTSB investigation. (.4)during takeoff from a heliport atop a 10-story parking structure, the pilot heard a 'loud pop or snapping sound' as the helicopter transitioned to forward flight and then sensed a main rotor imbalance and vibration. The pilot returned to the heliport and landed on the skids, however, the helicopter subsequently rolled over and came to rest on its left side. Subsequent examination of the helicopter showed the skid cross tubes were displaced ap proximately 2 inches to the right in their fuselage attachment bushings and the main rotor transmission was inclined approximately 20 degrees to the right and 10 degrees forward. Examination and testing of the hydraulic pump, three flight control servos and two hydraulic filters revealed no anomalies. The tip of one main rotor blade and part of one pitch change link were not located after the accident. The mating end of the pitch change link exhibited bending along its length and crippling at the separation point consistent with overload failure.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 8/29/00 @ 1530 PDT BELL HELICOPTER, N5758H CRAHSED ON TOP TO THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT. PARKING STRUCTURE IN CENTRAL LOS ANGELES. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE HELICOPTER AFTER RISING INTO A HOVER MADE TWO RIGHT HAND 360 DEGREE TURNS IN ABOUT 3 SECONDS, THEN CONTACTED THE GROUND WHERE THE HELICOPTER ROLLED ON ITS LEFT SIDE CAUSING THE MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM TO CONTACT THE GROUND WITHOUT HITTING THE TAIL BOOM. ADDITIONALLY, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE TAIL ROTOR SYSTEM ALSO MADE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. INVESTIGATION ON SITE FOUND NO OBVIOUS FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS AT THAT TIME. HELICOPTER TRANSPORTED TO THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF'S FACILITY ON THE LONG BEACH AIRPORT AWAITING NTSB INVESTIGATION. (.4)DURING TAKEOFF FROM A HELIPORT ATOP A 10-STORY PARKING STRUCTURE, THE PILOT HEARD A 'LOUD POP OR SNAPPING SOUND' AS THE HELICOPTER TRANSITIONED TO FORWARD FLIGHT AND THEN SENSED A MAIN ROTOR IMBALANCE AND VIBRATION. THE PILOT RETURNED TO THE HELIPORT AND LANDED ON THE SKIDS, HOWEVER, THE HELICOPTER SUBSEQUENTLY ROLLED OVER AND CAME TO REST ON ITS LEFT SIDE. SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER SHOWED THE SKID CROSS TUBES WERE DISPLACED AP PROXIMATELY 2 INCHES TO THE RIGHT IN THEIR FUSELAGE ATTACHMENT BUSHINGS AND THE MAIN ROTOR TRANSMISSION WAS INCLINED APPROXIMATELY 20 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT AND 10 DEGREES FORWARD. EXAMINATION AND TESTING OF THE HYDRAULIC PUMP, THREE FLIGHT CONTROL SERVOS AND TWO HYDRAULIC FILTERS REVEALED NO ANOMALIES. THE TIP OF ONE MAIN ROTOR BLADE AND PART OF ONE PITCH CHANGE LINK WERE NOT LOCATED AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE MATING END OF THE PITCH CHANGE LINK EXHIBITED BENDING ALONG ITS LENGTH AND CRIPPLING AT THE SEPARATION POINT CONSISTENT WITH OVERLOAD FAILURE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.