What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The ship was being demo'ed. The pilot tried a maneuver at low alt. And the nose pitched down. The commercial pilot took control but too late. The acft hit the ground & rolled over. No major injuries. (.19) on August 14, 2001, at 0815 hours mountain standard time, a MD helicopters, inc., 600N, N70457, collided with the ground while maneuvering during a demonstration flight, 6 miles east of Fountain Hills, Arizona. The commercial pilot and three passengers were not injured, and the helicopter was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight was operated by MD helicopters, inc., under 14 CFR part 91. No flight plan was filed for the local flight that departed at 0745 from falcon field in mesa, Arizona. According to preliminary information obtained by an inspector from the federal aviation administration, scottsdale flight standard district office, the accident occurred during a sales demonstration flight. The customer was performing a low altitude "crop duster turn" and was unable to arrest the sink rate following the turn. The helicopter collided with the ground and rolled over. No evidence of a flight control or engine malfu nction was detected during the flight.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE SHIP WAS BEING DEMO'ED. THE PILOT TRIED A MANEUVER AT LOW ALT. AND THE NOSE PITCHED DOWN. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT TOOK CONTROL BUT TOO LATE. THE ACFT HIT THE GROUND & ROLLED OVER. NO MAJOR INJURIES. (.19) ON AUGUST 14, 2001, AT 0815 HOURS MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A MD HELICOPTERS, INC., 600N, N70457, COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND WHILE MANEUVERING DURING A DEMONSTRATION FLIGHT, 6 MILES EAST OF FOUNTAIN HILLS, ARIZONA. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED, AND THE HELICOPTER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. THE FLIGHT WAS OPERATED BY MD HELICOPTERS, INC., UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT THAT DEPARTED AT 0745 FROM FALCON FIELD IN MESA, ARIZONA. ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY INFORMATION OBTAINED BY AN INSPECTOR FROM THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, SCOTTSDALE FLIGHT STANDARD DISTRICT OFFICE, THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED DURING A SALES DEMONSTRATION FLIGHT. THE CUSTOMER WAS PERFORMING A LOW ALTITUDE "CROP DUSTER TURN" AND WAS UNABLE TO ARREST THE SINK RATE FOLLOWING THE TURN. THE HELICOPTER COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND AND ROLLED OVER. NO EVIDENCE OF A FLIGHT CONTROL OR ENGINE MALFU NCTION WAS DETECTED DURING THE FLIGHT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.