What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On may 30, 2006, at 165 EDT, a Eurocopter 135P1, N601FH, serial number 0069, registered to merrill lynch business financial services inc., operated by c.j. systems aviation inc., and leased to medstar inc., crashed into a golf course in the old soldiers home compound located in the northwest section of Washington, DC., during a part 135 medical transport flight from Washington's southeast hospital to the Washington hospital center. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft was substantially damaged and the pilot, flight nurse and paramedic were seriously injured. The patient being transported died the next day. The chief pilot flew N601FH to the Washington hospital center in the morning and added 60 gallons of fuel after the flight. The accident pilot took over the aircraft at 1000 hours and departed on flight 1872 to the Washington greater southeast hospital that lasted for 0.3 hours (no fuel added). The aircraft departed Washington's greater southeast memorial hospital (flight 1888) at approximately 1640, on a part 135 flight, and were in the process of transporting a critical patient to Washington hospital center (whc). Due to the injuries sustained by the pilot, it is unknown what kind of corrective action the Washington flight standards district office will take. The pilot radioed dispatch at 1640 with four persons on board and one hour and twenty minutes of fuel. According to radar data, the aircraft began its initial approach to whc from the south. The aircraft broke off its approach to the upper helipad and flew a teardrop pattern in order to approach the upper helipad from the north. On this second approach, the aircraft broke off the approach to the helipad and flew around the children's hospital building in a northerly direction towards the old soldier's home and golf course. It was on this flight path that the dca air traffic control tower received a "mayday" call from N601FH. Shortly after receiving the emergency call, the aircraft disappeared from radar.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON MAY 30, 2006, AT 165 EDT, A EUROCOPTER 135P1, N601FH, SERIAL NUMBER 0069, REGISTERED TO MERRILL LYNCH BUSINESS FINANCIAL SERVICES INC., OPERATED BY C.J. SYSTEMS AVIATION INC., AND LEASED TO MEDSTAR INC., CRASHED INTO A GOLF COURSE IN THE OLD SOLDIERS HOME COMPOUND LOCATED IN THE NORTHWEST SECTION OF WASHINGTON, DC., DURING A PART 135 MEDICAL TRANSPORT FLIGHT FROM WASHINGTON'S SOUTHEAST HOSPITAL TO THE WASHINGTON HOSPITAL CENTER. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE PILOT, FLIGHT NURSE AND PARAMEDIC WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE PATIENT BEING TRANSPORTED DIED THE NEXT DAY. THE CHIEF PILOT FLEW N601FH TO THE WASHINGTON HOSPITAL CENTER IN THE MORNING AND ADDED 60 GALLONS OF FUEL AFTER THE FLIGHT. THE ACCIDENT PILOT TOOK OVER THE AIRCRAFT AT 1000 HOURS AND DEPARTED ON FLIGHT 1872 TO THE WASHINGTON GREATER SOUTHEAST HOSPITAL THAT LASTED FOR 0.3 HOURS (NO FUEL ADDED). THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED WASHINGTON'S GREATER SOUTHEAST MEMORIAL HOSPITAL (FLIGHT 1888) AT APPROXIMATELY 1640, ON A PART 135 FLIGHT, AND WERE IN THE PROCESS OF TRANSPORTING A CRITICAL PATIENT TO WASHINGTON HOSPITAL CENTER (WHC). DUE TO THE INJURIES SUSTAINED BY THE PILOT, IT IS UNKNOWN WHAT KIND OF CORRECTIVE ACTION THE WASHINGTON FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE WILL TAKE. THE PILOT RADIOED DISPATCH AT 1640 WITH FOUR PERSONS ON BOARD AND ONE HOUR AND TWENTY MINUTES OF FUEL. ACCORDING TO RADAR DATA, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN ITS INITIAL APPROACH TO WHC FROM THE SOUTH. THE AIRCRAFT BROKE OFF ITS APPROACH TO THE UPPER HELIPAD AND FLEW A TEARDROP PATTERN IN ORDER TO APPROACH THE UPPER HELIPAD FROM THE NORTH. ON THIS SECOND APPROACH, THE AIRCRAFT BROKE OFF THE APPROACH TO THE HELIPAD AND FLEW AROUND THE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL BUILDING IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION TOWARDS THE OLD SOLDIER'S HOME AND GOLF COURSE. IT WAS ON THIS FLIGHT PATH THAT THE DCA AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER RECEIVED A "MAYDAY" CALL FROM N601FH. SHORTLY AFTER RECEIVING THE EMERGENCY CALL, THE AIRCRAFT DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.