What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On April 8, 2002, about 0830 eastern daylight time, a bell OH-58C, N107CS, registered to and operated by the Charlotte County sheriff's department, rolled over while attempting to lift off from a trailer at the Charlotte County Airport, Punta Gorda, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the public-use flight. The helicopter was substantially damaged and the commercial-rated pilot and one passenger were not injured. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. The pilot stated that when he pulled collective to lift off from the trailer, he felt the right skid pulling downward and the helicopter rolling to the right. He attempted to set the helicopter back on the trailer and when the right skid made contact with the trailer, he lowered the collective. The helicopter continued to roll farther to the right rolling over on its side. (-23) while taking off from a trailer the helicopter transitioned to the right of the trailer allowing the right skid to make contact with the trailer retention fence and slid up and over the fence. The pilot lowered the coll ective to land back on the trailer. The helicopter's right skid was too FAR to the right and slid off the right side of the trailer causing the helicopter to roll to the right in a tail low attitude. The tailboom, tail rotor, rear of the right skid, and main rotor blades made contact with the ground. The main transmission assembly with main rotor system attached separated from the aircraft. The tail boom was fractured at its midpoint. The tail rotor, tail rotor gearbox, and aft section of the tailboom separated from the aircraft. There was no post crash fire. There were no injuries to the crew.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON APRIL 8, 2002, ABOUT 0830 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL OH-58C, N107CS, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE CHARLOTTE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, ROLLED OVER WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LIFT OFF FROM A TRAILER AT THE CHARLOTTE COUNTY AIRPORT, PUNTA GORDA, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PUBLIC-USE FLIGHT. THE HELICOPTER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE COMMERCIAL-RATED PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT STATED THAT WHEN HE PULLED COLLECTIVE TO LIFT OFF FROM THE TRAILER, HE FELT THE RIGHT SKID PULLING DOWNWARD AND THE HELICOPTER ROLLING TO THE RIGHT. HE ATTEMPTED TO SET THE HELICOPTER BACK ON THE TRAILER AND WHEN THE RIGHT SKID MADE CONTACT WITH THE TRAILER, HE LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE. THE HELICOPTER CONTINUED TO ROLL FARTHER TO THE RIGHT ROLLING OVER ON ITS SIDE. (-23) WHILE TAKING OFF FROM A TRAILER THE HELICOPTER TRANSITIONED TO THE RIGHT OF THE TRAILER ALLOWING THE RIGHT SKID TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE TRAILER RETENTION FENCE AND SLID UP AND OVER THE FENCE. THE PILOT LOWERED THE COLL ECTIVE TO LAND BACK ON THE TRAILER. THE HELICOPTER'S RIGHT SKID WAS TOO FAR TO THE RIGHT AND SLID OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE TRAILER CAUSING THE HELICOPTER TO ROLL TO THE RIGHT IN A TAIL LOW ATTITUDE. THE TAILBOOM, TAIL ROTOR, REAR OF THE RIGHT SKID, AND MAIN ROTOR BLADES MADE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. THE MAIN TRANSMISSION ASSEMBLY WITH MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM ATTACHED SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE TAIL BOOM WAS FRACTURED AT ITS MIDPOINT. THE TAIL ROTOR, TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX, AND AFT SECTION OF THE TAILBOOM SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE CREW.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.