What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The true facts are unknown at this time. Interviews with several individuals close to the pilot do not agree with pilots account. Sometime between 1200 am and 0300AM the pilot crashed his helicopter on the taxiway at the Ocala airport. It is not known whether the accident happened during landing after a flight or during takeoff at the start of a flight. The accident occurred when the helicopter settled onto its trailer with the right skid missing the trailer. The helicopter landed on the ground on its right side next to the trailer. The helicopter received substantial damage, there were no injuries to personnel. The pilot and his passenger called a wrecker and picked up the wreckage and moved it to his hangar. They cleaned up the accident site and left the area without reporting the accident. The pilots brother in law reported the accident to the Ocala police. The night of the accident the pilot and his passenger had snuck out of a drug rehab center in gainsville. The Ocala police found beer bottles in a storm drain next to the hangar. The first police officer on the scene indicated that he smelled alcohol in the helicopter. The pilot was not located for several days and has continued to be hard to contact.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE TRUE FACTS ARE UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME. INTERVIEWS WITH SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS CLOSE TO THE PILOT DO NOT AGREE WITH PILOTS ACCOUNT. SOMETIME BETWEEN 1200 AM AND 0300AM THE PILOT CRASHED HIS HELICOPTER ON THE TAXIWAY AT THE OCALA AIRPORT. IT IS NOT KNOWN WHETHER THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED DURING LANDING AFTER A FLIGHT OR DURING TAKEOFF AT THE START OF A FLIGHT. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN THE HELICOPTER SETTLED ONTO ITS TRAILER WITH THE RIGHT SKID MISSING THE TRAILER. THE HELICOPTER LANDED ON THE GROUND ON ITS RIGHT SIDE NEXT TO THE TRAILER. THE HELICOPTER RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO PERSONNEL. THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER CALLED A WRECKER AND PICKED UP THE WRECKAGE AND MOVED IT TO HIS HANGAR. THEY CLEANED UP THE ACCIDENT SITE AND LEFT THE AREA WITHOUT REPORTING THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOTS BROTHER IN LAW REPORTED THE ACCIDENT TO THE OCALA POLICE. THE NIGHT OF THE ACCIDENT THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER HAD SNUCK OUT OF A DRUG REHAB CENTER IN GAINSVILLE. THE OCALA POLICE FOUND BEER BOTTLES IN A STORM DRAIN NEXT TO THE HANGAR. THE FIRST POLICE OFFICER ON THE SCENE INDICATED THAT HE SMELLED ALCOHOL IN THE HELICOPTER. THE PILOT WAS NOT LOCATED FOR SEVERAL DAYS AND HAS CONTINUED TO BE HARD TO CONTACT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.