What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) While at a hover the pilot over controlled the helicopter. The tail rotor hit the ground. The helicopter came down on the skids very hard. The right skid broke off and the helicopter rolled on its right side. The helicopter received substantial damage. There were not injuries to the pilot or passenger. (.19) on November 5, 2001, at 1530 eastern standard time, a Robinson R22 beta, N888BD, piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage when it impacted the ground while landing at the Toledo Suburban Airport (5G9), Lambertville, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being operated under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 without a flight plan. The private pilot and pilot-rated passenger reported no injuries. The local flight originated at Lambertville, Michigan. A witness reported seeing the helicopter come in for a landing. The witness said the helicopter over-flared and the tail and tail rotor struck the terrain. The helicopter then impacted onto its skids. The right skid separated from the fuselage and the helicopter rolled over onto its right side. A federal aviation administration inspector examined the helicopter at the scene. The helicopter's main rotor blades were broken. The tail rotor was separated and the boom was broken upward. The transmission mounts were bent. The cross tubes for the skids were bent and bowed. Control continuity was confirmed. An examination of the engine and other helicopter systems revealed no anomalies.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) WHILE AT A HOVER THE PILOT OVER CONTROLLED THE HELICOPTER. THE TAIL ROTOR HIT THE GROUND. THE HELICOPTER CAME DOWN ON THE SKIDS VERY HARD. THE RIGHT SKID BROKE OFF AND THE HELICOPTER ROLLED ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE HELICOPTER RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THERE WERE NOT INJURIES TO THE PILOT OR PASSENGER. (.19) ON NOVEMBER 5, 2001, AT 1530 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A ROBINSON R22 BETA, N888BD, PILOTED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT IMPACTED THE GROUND WHILE LANDING AT THE TOLEDO SUBURBAN AIRPORT (5G9), LAMBERTVILLE, MICHIGAN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND PILOT-RATED PASSENGER REPORTED NO INJURIES. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT LAMBERTVILLE, MICHIGAN. A WITNESS REPORTED SEEING THE HELICOPTER COME IN FOR A LANDING. THE WITNESS SAID THE HELICOPTER OVER-FLARED AND THE TAIL AND TAIL ROTOR STRUCK THE TERRAIN. THE HELICOPTER THEN IMPACTED ONTO ITS SKIDS. THE RIGHT SKID SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE AND THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER ONTO ITS RIGHT SIDE. A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE HELICOPTER AT THE SCENE. THE HELICOPTER'S MAIN ROTOR BLADES WERE BROKEN. THE TAIL ROTOR WAS SEPARATED AND THE BOOM WAS BROKEN UPWARD. THE TRANSMISSION MOUNTS WERE BENT. THE CROSS TUBES FOR THE SKIDS WERE BENT AND BOWED. CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS CONFIRMED. AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE AND OTHER HELICOPTER SYSTEMS REVEALED NO ANOMALIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.