What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On June 20, 2003 at 1630 hrs I was dispatched to blasdell, NY for a reported helicopter hard landing at the ford stamping plant in lackawanna, NY. Upon arrival I found the local police and fire departments at the scene. The aircraft was sitting in the middle of the parking lot about 1/2 mile from the heliport it departed from with substantial damage. There was evidence of the tail boom striking a chain link gatepost with the tail rotor assembly imbedded in the fence. The gate was open leading from the plant roadway to the parking lot. The aircraft skids made scrapes in the asphalt about 20 feet before the gate opening and then disappeared 5 feet before the gate opening. The aircraft, sliding at a heading of 120 degrees, came to rest about 350 feet after the gate opening facing in a north direction. There were 4 main rotor blade cut made in the asphalt about 200 feet after the gate opening. The main rotor transmission was torn from its mount and leaning over to the right about 70 degrees from vertical. All 4 main rotor blades were destroyed and the aircraft was leaking fuel from the impact. The pilot stated that he lost climb power after takeoff. The NTSB will determine the final cause.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON JUNE 20, 2003 AT 1630 HRS I WAS DISPATCHED TO BLASDELL, NY FOR A REPORTED HELICOPTER HARD LANDING AT THE FORD STAMPING PLANT IN LACKAWANNA, NY. UPON ARRIVAL I FOUND THE LOCAL POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS AT THE SCENE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SITTING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PARKING LOT ABOUT 1/2 MILE FROM THE HELIPORT IT DEPARTED FROM WITH SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF THE TAIL BOOM STRIKING A CHAIN LINK GATEPOST WITH THE TAIL ROTOR ASSEMBLY IMBEDDED IN THE FENCE. THE GATE WAS OPEN LEADING FROM THE PLANT ROADWAY TO THE PARKING LOT. THE AIRCRAFT SKIDS MADE SCRAPES IN THE ASPHALT ABOUT 20 FEET BEFORE THE GATE OPENING AND THEN DISAPPEARED 5 FEET BEFORE THE GATE OPENING. THE AIRCRAFT, SLIDING AT A HEADING OF 120 DEGREES, CAME TO REST ABOUT 350 FEET AFTER THE GATE OPENING FACING IN A NORTH DIRECTION. THERE WERE 4 MAIN ROTOR BLADE CUT MADE IN THE ASPHALT ABOUT 200 FEET AFTER THE GATE OPENING. THE MAIN ROTOR TRANSMISSION WAS TORN FROM ITS MOUNT AND LEANING OVER TO THE RIGHT ABOUT 70 DEGREES FROM VERTICAL. ALL 4 MAIN ROTOR BLADES WERE DESTROYED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS LEAKING FUEL FROM THE IMPACT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE LOST CLIMB POWER AFTER TAKEOFF. THE NTSB WILL DETERMINE THE FINAL CAUSE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.