What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The medical helicopter flight was dispatched VFR from abi (Abilene airport TX) at 15:56 local time with 10 miles visibility and an 1100-foot ceiling. The pilot and medical crew of two were flying east along interstate I-20 to eastland TX to pickup a patient when they encountered reduced visibility in rain and lowering ceilings. The pilot descended to maintain VFR and made a PIREP (pilot report) to Abilene approach, reporting a ceiling of 400 feet AGL. The rain reduced the visibility and the pilot continued to descend using the roadway as his only visual reference. With only a single reference point, looking through the chin bubble, the pilot descended all the way to the ground. The pilot was not planning a landing, he was trying to descend below the rain and clouds but they extended almost to the ground, he didn't recognize his closure to the ground and there was a hard landing. The VHF antenna below the left chin bubble was bent and grounded out so the pilot could not contact abi approach and the ELT was activated. The pilot reported that the helicopter did not bounce or slie and he shut it down in place. There were no injuries, he shut off the ELT and reported the hard landing with bent skids and tailboom.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE MEDICAL HELICOPTER FLIGHT WAS DISPATCHED VFR FROM ABI (ABILENE AIRPORT TX) AT 15:56 LOCAL TIME WITH 10 MILES VISIBILITY AND AN 1100-FOOT CEILING. THE PILOT AND MEDICAL CREW OF TWO WERE FLYING EAST ALONG INTERSTATE I-20 TO EASTLAND TX TO PICKUP A PATIENT WHEN THEY ENCOUNTERED REDUCED VISIBILITY IN RAIN AND LOWERING CEILINGS. THE PILOT DESCENDED TO MAINTAIN VFR AND MADE A PIREP (PILOT REPORT) TO ABILENE APPROACH, REPORTING A CEILING OF 400 FEET AGL. THE RAIN REDUCED THE VISIBILITY AND THE PILOT CONTINUED TO DESCEND USING THE ROADWAY AS HIS ONLY VISUAL REFERENCE. WITH ONLY A SINGLE REFERENCE POINT, LOOKING THROUGH THE CHIN BUBBLE, THE PILOT DESCENDED ALL THE WAY TO THE GROUND. THE PILOT WAS NOT PLANNING A LANDING, HE WAS TRYING TO DESCEND BELOW THE RAIN AND CLOUDS BUT THEY EXTENDED ALMOST TO THE GROUND, HE DIDN'T RECOGNIZE HIS CLOSURE TO THE GROUND AND THERE WAS A HARD LANDING. THE VHF ANTENNA BELOW THE LEFT CHIN BUBBLE WAS BENT AND GROUNDED OUT SO THE PILOT COULD NOT CONTACT ABI APPROACH AND THE ELT WAS ACTIVATED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE HELICOPTER DID NOT BOUNCE OR SLIE AND HE SHUT IT DOWN IN PLACE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, HE SHUT OFF THE ELT AND REPORTED THE HARD LANDING WITH BENT SKIDS AND TAILBOOM.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.