What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On October 17, 2002, at 1600 central daylight time, a Bell 206L-1 helicopter, N303CH, was substantially damaged when it landed hard following a loss of control near Edinburg, Texas. The helicopter was registered to and operated by central helicopters inc., of houston, Texas. The commercial pilot and three passengers were not injured, and one passenger sustained a serious injury. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 code of federal regulations part 135 on-demand air taxi flight. The cross-country flight originated from a private staging area near the schlitterbahn water park, south padre island, Texas, and was destined for a staging area at the pan American university, Edinburg, Texas. According to the pilot, during final approach to the staging area in Edinburg he "ran out of pedal," and the helicopter started spinning to the right. Subsequently, the helicopter landed hard. The pilot stated that there was no mechanical malfunction of the helicopter. According to an FAA inspector, who examined the helicopter, the skids were spread, the belly was structurally damaged, the tailboom was bent downward, and the tailrotor blades weredamaged. The inspector established flight control continuity for the tailrotor drive system. (-23) on October 17, 2002, at approximately 1600 CDT, N303CH, a bht 206L-1, owned and operated by central helicopter services was destroyed following a hard landing. The hard landing was a result of loss of tail rotor effectiveness. The accident occurred on the campus of ut-pan am in Edinburg, Texas. The pilot was not injured. Three passengers sustained minor injuries and one sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the 14 CFR part 135 flight. No flight plan was filed. The pilot elected to land to the north with a wind of approximately 15 knots from the southeast. The tail rotor became ineffective during the approach and the aircraft spun to the right five times before contacting the ground. The skids collapsed, the tail rotor struck the ground and the main rotor struck a small tree.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON OCTOBER 17, 2002, AT 1600 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL 206L-1 HELICOPTER, N303CH, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT LANDED HARD FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL NEAR EDINBURG, TEXAS. THE HELICOPTER WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY CENTRAL HELICOPTERS INC., OF HOUSTON, TEXAS. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED, AND ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED A SERIOUS INJURY. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 135 ON-DEMAND AIR TAXI FLIGHT. THE CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM A PRIVATE STAGING AREA NEAR THE SCHLITTERBAHN WATER PARK, SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, TEXAS, AND WAS DESTINED FOR A STAGING AREA AT THE PAN AMERICAN UNIVERSITY, EDINBURG, TEXAS. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, DURING FINAL APPROACH TO THE STAGING AREA IN EDINBURG HE "RAN OUT OF PEDAL," AND THE HELICOPTER STARTED SPINNING TO THE RIGHT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD. THE PILOT STATED THAT THERE WAS NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OF THE HELICOPTER. ACCORDING TO AN FAA INSPECTOR, WHO EXAMINED THE HELICOPTER, THE SKIDS WERE SPREAD, THE BELLY WAS STRUCTURALLY DAMAGED, THE TAILBOOM WAS BENT DOWNWARD, AND THE TAILROTOR BLADES WEREDAMAGED. THE INSPECTOR ESTABLISHED FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY FOR THE TAILROTOR DRIVE SYSTEM. (-23) ON OCTOBER 17, 2002, AT APPROXIMATELY 1600 CDT, N303CH, A BHT 206L-1, OWNED AND OPERATED BY CENTRAL HELICOPTER SERVICES WAS DESTROYED FOLLOWING A HARD LANDING. THE HARD LANDING WAS A RESULT OF LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR EFFECTIVENESS. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON THE CAMPUS OF UT-PAN AM IN EDINBURG, TEXAS. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THREE PASSENGERS SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND ONE SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 135 FLIGHT. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND TO THE NORTH WITH A WIND OF APPROXIMATELY 15 KNOTS FROM THE SOUTHEAST. THE TAIL ROTOR BECAME INEFFECTIVE DURING THE APPROACH AND THE AIRCRAFT SPUN TO THE RIGHT FIVE TIMES BEFORE CONTACTING THE GROUND. THE SKIDS COLLAPSED, THE TAIL ROTOR STRUCK THE GROUND AND THE MAIN ROTOR STRUCK A SMALL TREE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.