What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On October 19, 2001, at 1458 mountain daylight time, an aerospatiale AS350B2 helicopter, N111DT, was destroyed during impact with terrain while maneuvering near Roswell, new Mexico. The commercial pilot and one passenger sustained serious injuries, and two passengers sustained fatal injuries. The helicopter was registered to and operated by medical air transport, inc., of payson, Arizona. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company visual flight rule (VFR) flight plan was filed for the 14 code of federal regulations part 91 orientation flight. The local flight originated from the new Mexico state police office parking lot in Roswell, new Mexico, at 1451. The pilot had been conducting landing zone training with the new Mexico state police. Subsequent to the training being completed, the pilot took three members of the state police on an orientation flight for the purpose of demonstrating the capabilities of the air medical helicopter to approach and land at the scene of an accident. The pilot reported to the NTSB investigator-in-charge that after a maximum performance takeoff to the southwest from the parking lot at the state police office, the flight departed the area to the west and climbed to an altitude of 5,500 feet MSL. After selecting a landing zone, he turned northwest toward the area and initiated a descent. The pilot stated that his intention was to bring the helicopter to a high hover, allow the dust to settle, and then land. As the helicopter descended to about 150-200 feet AGL, he initiated a right turn into the wind. As the helicopter was turning, he realized the helicopter's turn was too steep and tried to shallow the turn; however, the cyclic would not move. At one point he tried to neutralized the cyclic with both hands but to no avail. Subsequently, the helicopter impacted the ground. The helicopter came to rest 375 feet from the initial ground scar. (-23) on October 19, 2001 at approximately 1445 MST, an aerospatiale AS-350-B2, N111DT, registered to medical air transport, collided with the ground while on a pleasure flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The helicopter was destroyed and the commercial pilot and one passenger were seriously injured and two other passengers were fatally injured. The flight originated from the state police h eadquarters in Roswell, new Mexico at approximately 1410 MST.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON OCTOBER 19, 2001, AT 1458 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AEROSPATIALE AS350B2 HELICOPTER, N111DT, WAS DESTROYED DURING IMPACT WITH TERRAIN WHILE MANEUVERING NEAR ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES, AND TWO PASSENGERS SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE HELICOPTER WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY MEDICAL AIR TRANSPORT, INC., OF PAYSON, ARIZONA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A COMPANY VISUAL FLIGHT RULE (VFR) FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 ORIENTATION FLIGHT. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE NEW MEXICO STATE POLICE OFFICE PARKING LOT IN ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO, AT 1451. THE PILOT HAD BEEN CONDUCTING LANDING ZONE TRAINING WITH THE NEW MEXICO STATE POLICE. SUBSEQUENT TO THE TRAINING BEING COMPLETED, THE PILOT TOOK THREE MEMBERS OF THE STATE POLICE ON AN ORIENTATION FLIGHT FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEMONSTRATING THE CAPABILITIES OF THE AIR MEDICAL HELICOPTER TO APPROACH AND LAND AT THE SCENE OF AN ACCIDENT. THE PILOT REPORTED TO THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE THAT AFTER A MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE TAKEOFF TO THE SOUTHWEST FROM THE PARKING LOT AT THE STATE POLICE OFFICE, THE FLIGHT DEPARTED THE AREA TO THE WEST AND CLIMBED TO AN ALTITUDE OF 5,500 FEET MSL. AFTER SELECTING A LANDING ZONE, HE TURNED NORTHWEST TOWARD THE AREA AND INITIATED A DESCENT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HIS INTENTION WAS TO BRING THE HELICOPTER TO A HIGH HOVER, ALLOW THE DUST TO SETTLE, AND THEN LAND. AS THE HELICOPTER DESCENDED TO ABOUT 150-200 FEET AGL, HE INITIATED A RIGHT TURN INTO THE WIND. AS THE HELICOPTER WAS TURNING, HE REALIZED THE HELICOPTER'S TURN WAS TOO STEEP AND TRIED TO SHALLOW THE TURN; HOWEVER, THE CYCLIC WOULD NOT MOVE. AT ONE POINT HE TRIED TO NEUTRALIZED THE CYCLIC WITH BOTH HANDS BUT TO NO AVAIL. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST 375 FEET FROM THE INITIAL GROUND SCAR. (-23) ON OCTOBER 19, 2001 AT APPROXIMATELY 1445 MST, AN AEROSPATIALE AS-350-B2, N111DT, REGISTERED TO MEDICAL AIR TRANSPORT, COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND WHILE ON A PLEASURE FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE HELICOPTER WAS DESTROYED AND THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED AND TWO OTHER PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE STATE POLICE H EADQUARTERS IN ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO AT APPROXIMATELY 1410 MST.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.