What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot initiated departure from unlighted hospital helicopter pad. Time was 1143 pm with clear skies, approx. 4 knots of wind and a full moon. He admits that the landing light was not turned on prior to hovering the aircraft. Noted soil composition is pale white and the helipad was in former gravel pit with sandy soil rising above the aircraft in almost all quadrants. This soil and illumination combination may contribute to either loss of visual cues or a flat lightning situation with loss of visual reference. Pilot indicated he thought something was sticking in the tail rotor control and was looking down into the low light conditions in the cockpit. The aircraft apparently was in motion and shortly thereafter came to rest on its right side. Ground scars with "paint transfers" from the landing gear on the helipad indicated the aircraft was in motion lateral and moving aft and that the ground resonance spring of the right skid contacted the pad. Appears to have been the initiator of "dynamic rollover." There were no indications of any pre-impact anomalies or malfunctions. Continuity and function of the flight controls were established and the hydraulic system drive belt was in place and the reservoir serviced.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT INITIATED DEPARTURE FROM UNLIGHTED HOSPITAL HELICOPTER PAD. TIME WAS 1143 PM WITH CLEAR SKIES, APPROX. 4 KNOTS OF WIND AND A FULL MOON. HE ADMITS THAT THE LANDING LIGHT WAS NOT TURNED ON PRIOR TO HOVERING THE AIRCRAFT. NOTED SOIL COMPOSITION IS PALE WHITE AND THE HELIPAD WAS IN FORMER GRAVEL PIT WITH SANDY SOIL RISING ABOVE THE AIRCRAFT IN ALMOST ALL QUADRANTS. THIS SOIL AND ILLUMINATION COMBINATION MAY CONTRIBUTE TO EITHER LOSS OF VISUAL CUES OR A FLAT LIGHTNING SITUATION WITH LOSS OF VISUAL REFERENCE. PILOT INDICATED HE THOUGHT SOMETHING WAS STICKING IN THE TAIL ROTOR CONTROL AND WAS LOOKING DOWN INTO THE LOW LIGHT CONDITIONS IN THE COCKPIT. THE AIRCRAFT APPARENTLY WAS IN MOTION AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER CAME TO REST ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. GROUND SCARS WITH "PAINT TRANSFERS" FROM THE LANDING GEAR ON THE HELIPAD INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN MOTION LATERAL AND MOVING AFT AND THAT THE GROUND RESONANCE SPRING OF THE RIGHT SKID CONTACTED THE PAD. APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN THE INITIATOR OF "DYNAMIC ROLLOVER." THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF ANY PRE-IMPACT ANOMALIES OR MALFUNCTIONS. CONTINUITY AND FUNCTION OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE ESTABLISHED AND THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM DRIVE BELT WAS IN PLACE AND THE RESERVOIR SERVICED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.