What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On December 16, 2003, at 1908 eastern standard time, a mbb, bk 117A3, N911WJ, operated by cj systems aviation group inc., as a 14 CFR part 91 positioning flight, collided with trees and the ground during an inadvertent encounter with instrument flight conditions in cruise flight. The commercial pilot brian keith swinney, pilot certificate number 265457919 with rotorcraft-helicopter/commercial pilot and instrument helicopter/commercial pilot ratings stated that he saw lights and turned towards the lights. He slowed the helicopter down and lost sight of the lights. He made a right turn to the south and encountered vertigo. He immediately looked down at his flight instruments and observed the artificial horizon was above the horizon, and the airspeed was decreasing. He lowered the nose of the helicopter to regain airspeed and the helicopter began to settle. The nose of the helicopter went to the right and down. He looked back at his flight instruments with the attitude indicator showing the helicopter was inverted and the vertical speed indicator indicated a 1,000 foot a minute descent. He immediately applied cyclic pitch and rolled the helicopter to the upright position and pulled collective pitch to power. The helicopter collided with the trees in an upright position and fell to the ground. An on site investigation revealed the helicopter descended in a vertical position with full power when impacting the ground. The rotor blades severed several trees during the descent and scattered debris in an arch of approximately 300 feet. The tail rotor was separated when the aircraft collided with a tree on the ground.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON DECEMBER 16, 2003, AT 1908 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A MBB, BK 117A3, N911WJ, OPERATED BY CJ SYSTEMS AVIATION GROUP INC., AS A 14 CFR PART 91 POSITIONING FLIGHT, COLLIDED WITH TREES AND THE GROUND DURING AN INADVERTENT ENCOUNTER WITH INSTRUMENT FLIGHT CONDITIONS IN CRUISE FLIGHT. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT BRIAN KEITH SWINNEY, PILOT CERTIFICATE NUMBER 265457919 WITH ROTORCRAFT-HELICOPTER/COMMERCIAL PILOT AND INSTRUMENT HELICOPTER/COMMERCIAL PILOT RATINGS STATED THAT HE SAW LIGHTS AND TURNED TOWARDS THE LIGHTS. HE SLOWED THE HELICOPTER DOWN AND LOST SIGHT OF THE LIGHTS. HE MADE A RIGHT TURN TO THE SOUTH AND ENCOUNTERED VERTIGO. HE IMMEDIATELY LOOKED DOWN AT HIS FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS AND OBSERVED THE ARTIFICIAL HORIZON WAS ABOVE THE HORIZON, AND THE AIRSPEED WAS DECREASING. HE LOWERED THE NOSE OF THE HELICOPTER TO REGAIN AIRSPEED AND THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO SETTLE. THE NOSE OF THE HELICOPTER WENT TO THE RIGHT AND DOWN. HE LOOKED BACK AT HIS FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS WITH THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR SHOWING THE HELICOPTER WAS INVERTED AND THE VERTICAL SPEED INDICATOR INDICATED A 1,000 FOOT A MINUTE DESCENT. HE IMMEDIATELY APPLIED CYCLIC PITCH AND ROLLED THE HELICOPTER TO THE UPRIGHT POSITION AND PULLED COLLECTIVE PITCH TO POWER. THE HELICOPTER COLLIDED WITH THE TREES IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION AND FELL TO THE GROUND. AN ON SITE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE HELICOPTER DESCENDED IN A VERTICAL POSITION WITH FULL POWER WHEN IMPACTING THE GROUND. THE ROTOR BLADES SEVERED SEVERAL TREES DURING THE DESCENT AND SCATTERED DEBRIS IN AN ARCH OF APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET. THE TAIL ROTOR WAS SEPARATED WHEN THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH A TREE ON THE GROUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.