What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot was hovering nose high into the wind, about 20 feet AGL, when he mistakenly hit the control stick mounted fuel valve shut-off toggle switch, while attempting to switch radio frequencies. The turbine engine flamed our immediately, and the helicopter settled fast, hitting tail first, followed by the skids. It came to rest where it hit, with no further horizontal movement, on the grass next to the taxiway, on the south side of the airport. The damage is substantial/destroyed (broken tail boom, separated tail rotor and rotor and drive, broken and spread skids, broken fuselage, right side, top and bottom, and one main rotor blade that appears to have contacted the tail boom, and has creases in four different locations along its span.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT WAS HOVERING NOSE HIGH INTO THE WIND, ABOUT 20 FEET AGL, WHEN HE MISTAKENLY HIT THE CONTROL STICK MOUNTED FUEL VALVE SHUT-OFF TOGGLE SWITCH, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SWITCH RADIO FREQUENCIES. THE TURBINE ENGINE FLAMED OUR IMMEDIATELY, AND THE HELICOPTER SETTLED FAST, HITTING TAIL FIRST, FOLLOWED BY THE SKIDS. IT CAME TO REST WHERE IT HIT, WITH NO FURTHER HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT, ON THE GRASS NEXT TO THE TAXIWAY, ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE AIRPORT. THE DAMAGE IS SUBSTANTIAL/DESTROYED (BROKEN TAIL BOOM, SEPARATED TAIL ROTOR AND ROTOR AND DRIVE, BROKEN AND SPREAD SKIDS, BROKEN FUSELAGE, RIGHT SIDE, TOP AND BOTTOM, AND ONE MAIN ROTOR BLADE THAT APPEARS TO HAVE CONTACTED THE TAIL BOOM, AND HAS CREASES IN FOUR DIFFERENT LOCATIONS ALONG ITS SPAN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.