What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot tony paay was returning the EMS flight from colville, WA to spokane, WA when he ran into a bank of fog/snow/imc between chewelah, WA and loon lake, WA. He did not recognize it as an inadvertent IMC condition in the snow storm because he had some visual reference with cars moving on the highway below. He followed typical procedure when he lowered power, slowed down, and descended slightly in an effort to re-establish VFR by flying under the storm in this area known for poor visibility. He became fixated on the cars moving on the highway below and lost reference to the steepness of his descent. A EMS tech called out "trees", then the pilot added power and pulled pitch in an effort to stop the helicopter. The attempt was too late as the helicopter crashed on highway 395 causing substantial damage to the landing gear and fuselage. There were no rotor strikes. No injuries were sustained by the pilot, the EMS crew of two, or the patient.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT TONY PAAY WAS RETURNING THE EMS FLIGHT FROM COLVILLE, WA TO SPOKANE, WA WHEN HE RAN INTO A BANK OF FOG/SNOW/IMC BETWEEN CHEWELAH, WA AND LOON LAKE, WA. HE DID NOT RECOGNIZE IT AS AN INADVERTENT IMC CONDITION IN THE SNOW STORM BECAUSE HE HAD SOME VISUAL REFERENCE WITH CARS MOVING ON THE HIGHWAY BELOW. HE FOLLOWED TYPICAL PROCEDURE WHEN HE LOWERED POWER, SLOWED DOWN, AND DESCENDED SLIGHTLY IN AN EFFORT TO RE-ESTABLISH VFR BY FLYING UNDER THE STORM IN THIS AREA KNOWN FOR POOR VISIBILITY. HE BECAME FIXATED ON THE CARS MOVING ON THE HIGHWAY BELOW AND LOST REFERENCE TO THE STEEPNESS OF HIS DESCENT. A EMS TECH CALLED OUT "TREES", THEN THE PILOT ADDED POWER AND PULLED PITCH IN AN EFFORT TO STOP THE HELICOPTER. THE ATTEMPT WAS TOO LATE AS THE HELICOPTER CRASHED ON HIGHWAY 395 CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LANDING GEAR AND FUSELAGE. THERE WERE NO ROTOR STRIKES. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED BY THE PILOT, THE EMS CREW OF TWO, OR THE PATIENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.