What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot was planning to take three paying passengers on a scenic flight in the local area. The helicopter had been placed in a position near the bifolding door of a large hangar. The pilot ascended vertically from the ground to a skid height of nine (9) feet at which time the advancing (right) main rotor blade struck the overhanging door. The helicopter pitched rearward striking the tail first and then coming to rest upright. The entire flight from before engine start to the passenger egression was videotaped by a family member who was not aboard the helicopter. The pilot later contended that a passenger in the front seat bumped the cyclic, thereby causing the accident. Careful review of the videotape indicates the passenger did not bump the cyclic.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT WAS PLANNING TO TAKE THREE PAYING PASSENGERS ON A SCENIC FLIGHT IN THE LOCAL AREA. THE HELICOPTER HAD BEEN PLACED IN A POSITION NEAR THE BIFOLDING DOOR OF A LARGE HANGAR. THE PILOT ASCENDED VERTICALLY FROM THE GROUND TO A SKID HEIGHT OF NINE (9) FEET AT WHICH TIME THE ADVANCING (RIGHT) MAIN ROTOR BLADE STRUCK THE OVERHANGING DOOR. THE HELICOPTER PITCHED REARWARD STRIKING THE TAIL FIRST AND THEN COMING TO REST UPRIGHT. THE ENTIRE FLIGHT FROM BEFORE ENGINE START TO THE PASSENGER EGRESSION WAS VIDEOTAPED BY A FAMILY MEMBER WHO WAS NOT ABOARD THE HELICOPTER. THE PILOT LATER CONTENDED THAT A PASSENGER IN THE FRONT SEAT BUMPED THE CYCLIC, THEREBY CAUSING THE ACCIDENT. CAREFUL REVIEW OF THE VIDEOTAPE INDICATES THE PASSENGER DID NOT BUMP THE CYCLIC.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.