What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4) On January 27, 2001, at 1600 central standard time, a Schweizer 269C helicopter, N99DK, was substantially damaged when it rolled over during takeoff near Damon, Texas. The helicopter was registered to cape atlantic landowners association, inc., of new smyrna beach, Florida, and operated by barr air patrol of houston, Texas. The commercial pilot and observer were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 code of federal regulations part 91 aerial observation flight. The flight originated from the houston airpark airport, pearland, Texas, about 1500, for a power line patrol. The pilot reported that he landed the helicopter off airport due to the observer becoming sick. After the observer recovered, he attempted to takeoff. With the helicopter headed into the wind, he increased collective. The left skid lifted first and he applied the correction he "thought was appropriate: more left stick/cyclic." The pilot further reported that he then felt the skid continue to rise, and he had the feeling that the right skid was "hooked" by the ground. He applied "full left stick/cyclic deflection and lowered collective." The pilot stated that "at that time I believe a wind shift with a gust blew under my rotor and pushed me over." The main rotor blades hit the ground, and the helicopter came to rest on its right side. The operator reported that the main rotor transmission, main rotor blades, tail boom, tail rotor, and the right side of the fuselage were damaged. (.19) on January 27, 2001, at 1600 central standard time, a Schweizer 269C helicopter, N99DK, was substantially damaged when it rolled over during takeoff near Damon, Texas. The helicopter was registered to cape atlantic landowners association, inc. of new smyrna beach, Florida, and operated by barr air patrol of houston, Texas. The commercial pilot and observer were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 code of federal regulations part 91 aerial observation flight. The flight originated from the houston airpark airport earlier in the day for a power line patrol. According to the operator, the pilot landed the helicopter on a plateau within an open field due to the observer becoming sick. After the observer recovered, the pilot attempted to takeoff. As the helicopter lifted off the ground, the aft portion of the right skid caught on some uneven ground, and the helicopter rolled over onto its right side. The operator reported that the main rotor transmission, main rotor blades, tailboom, tail rotor, and the right side of the fuselage were damaged. (-23) pilot landed off airport to accommodate observer illness. On takeoff, aircraft encountered dynamic rollover when right skid dragged surface. Helicopter rolled to right. Main rotor blades impacted ground. Main rotor blades, tail rotor blades, tail boom and transmission were substantially damaged. Pilot was subsequently counseled on recognition of dynamic rollover and avoidance techniques and procedures.
As the FAA filed it
(.4) ON JANUARY 27, 2001, AT 1600 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A SCHWEIZER 269C HELICOPTER, N99DK, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT ROLLED OVER DURING TAKEOFF NEAR DAMON, TEXAS. THE HELICOPTER WAS REGISTERED TO CAPE ATLANTIC LANDOWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC., OF NEW SMYRNA BEACH, FLORIDA, AND OPERATED BY BARR AIR PATROL OF HOUSTON, TEXAS. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND OBSERVER WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 AERIAL OBSERVATION FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE HOUSTON AIRPARK AIRPORT, PEARLAND, TEXAS, ABOUT 1500, FOR A POWER LINE PATROL. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE LANDED THE HELICOPTER OFF AIRPORT DUE TO THE OBSERVER BECOMING SICK. AFTER THE OBSERVER RECOVERED, HE ATTEMPTED TO TAKEOFF. WITH THE HELICOPTER HEADED INTO THE WIND, HE INCREASED COLLECTIVE. THE LEFT SKID LIFTED FIRST AND HE APPLIED THE CORRECTION HE "THOUGHT WAS APPROPRIATE: MORE LEFT STICK/CYCLIC." THE PILOT FURTHER REPORTED THAT HE THEN FELT THE SKID CONTINUE TO RISE, AND HE HAD THE FEELING THAT THE RIGHT SKID WAS "HOOKED" BY THE GROUND. HE APPLIED "FULL LEFT STICK/CYCLIC DEFLECTION AND LOWERED COLLECTIVE." THE PILOT STATED THAT "AT THAT TIME I BELIEVE A WIND SHIFT WITH A GUST BLEW UNDER MY ROTOR AND PUSHED ME OVER." THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES HIT THE GROUND, AND THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE OPERATOR REPORTED THAT THE MAIN ROTOR TRANSMISSION, MAIN ROTOR BLADES, TAIL BOOM, TAIL ROTOR, AND THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE WERE DAMAGED. (.19) ON JANUARY 27, 2001, AT 1600 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A SCHWEIZER 269C HELICOPTER, N99DK, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT ROLLED OVER DURING TAKEOFF NEAR DAMON, TEXAS. THE HELICOPTER WAS REGISTERED TO CAPE ATLANTIC LANDOWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC. OF NEW SMYRNA BEACH, FLORIDA, AND OPERATED BY BARR AIR PATROL OF HOUSTON, TEXAS. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND OBSERVER WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 AERIAL OBSERVATION FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE HOUSTON AIRPARK AIRPORT EARLIER IN THE DAY FOR A POWER LINE PATROL. ACCORDING TO THE OPERATOR, THE PILOT LANDED THE HELICOPTER ON A PLATEAU WITHIN AN OPEN FIELD DUE TO THE OBSERVER BECOMING SICK. AFTER THE OBSERVER RECOVERED, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO TAKEOFF. AS THE HELICOPTER LIFTED OFF THE GROUND, THE AFT PORTION OF THE RIGHT SKID CAUGHT ON SOME UNEVEN GROUND, AND THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER ONTO ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE OPERATOR REPORTED THAT THE MAIN ROTOR TRANSMISSION, MAIN ROTOR BLADES, TAILBOOM, TAIL ROTOR, AND THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE WERE DAMAGED. (-23) PILOT LANDED OFF AIRPORT TO ACCOMMODATE OBSERVER ILLNESS. ON TAKEOFF, AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED DYNAMIC ROLLOVER WHEN RIGHT SKID DRAGGED SURFACE. HELICOPTER ROLLED TO RIGHT. MAIN ROTOR BLADES IMPACTED GROUND. MAIN ROTOR BLADES, TAIL ROTOR BLADES, TAIL BOOM AND TRANSMISSION WERE SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. PILOT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY COUNSELED ON RECOGNITION OF DYNAMIC ROLLOVER AND AVOIDANCE TECHNIQUES AND PROCEDURES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.