What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On July 28, 2006, at approximately 0555 MST, N74780, a Robinson R-44 helicopter, with the pilot privacy data omitted performing as pilot-in-command, crashed while maneuvering to avoid weather 9 nautical miles southwest of Flagstaff municipal airport (flg). The pilot privacy data omitted stated that he had departed Flagstaff airport on a cross country flight to deer valley airport (dvt) in phoenix. The weather at Flagstaff airport at the time of departure was wind 250 at 4 knots, ceiling 800 overcast, visibility 10, temperature 17, dewpoint 16, altimeter 3028. A variable condition was reported on ASOS, ceiling variable, 600-1100 feet. The pilot privacy data omitted stated that he had departed the airport before the tower had opened. The pilot privacy data omitted stated that as he proceeded southwest, the ceiling began to come down to approximately 100 feet AGL. The pilot privacy data omitted then stated that "the aircraft would not maintain altitude", so he entered an autorotation into a small clearing. The aircraft struck the ground at a high rate of descent and the skids spread. The aircraft became airborne again and began to spin. The aircraft struck a tree and flipped on its right side. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the main rotor, tail rotor, fuselage, and tail boom. Pilot sustained minor laceration to finger. Witnesses in the area reported that clouds were seen obscuring mountain tops at the time of this accident. The department of public safety (dps) performed the search and rescue of the pilot privacy data omitted. The pilot from dps stated that weather at Flagstaff airport at the time of his departure was IFR and that he had to request a special VFR departure to depart the airport. This pilot stated that the weather at the crash site was marginal VFR at best. The pilot from dps stated that the pilot privacy data omitted had stated during his pickup from the landing area that he had entered IMC but was okay because he had an airplane instrument rating. The pilot from dps stated that the pilot privacy data omitted appeared disoriented and was not sure of the location of the aircraft at the time of the accident.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON JULY 28, 2006, AT APPROXIMATELY 0555 MST, N74780, A ROBINSON R-44 HELICOPTER, WITH THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED PERFORMING AS PILOT-IN-COMMAND, CRASHED WHILE MANEUVERING TO AVOID WEATHER 9 NAUTICAL MILES SOUTHWEST OF FLAGSTAFF MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (FLG). THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA^ STATED THAT HE HAD DEPARTED FLAGSTAFF AIRPORT ON A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT TO DEER VALLEY AIRPORT (DVT) IN PHOENIX. THE WEATHER AT FLAGSTAFF AIRPORT AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE WAS WIND 250 AT 4 KNOTS, CEILING 800 OVERCAST, VISIBILITY 10, TEMPERATURE 17, DEWPOINT 16, ALTIMETER 3028. A VARIABLE CONDITION WAS REPORTED ON ASOS, CEILING VARIABLE, 600-1100 FEET. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA^ STATED THAT HE HAD DEPARTED THE AIRPORT BEFORE THE TOWER HAD OPENED. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA^ STATED THAT AS HE PROCEEDED SOUTHWEST, THE CEILING BEGAN TO COME DOWN TO APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET AGL. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA^ THEN STATED THAT "THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE", SO HE ENTERED AN AUTOROTATION INTO A SMALL CLEARING. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND AT A HIGH RATE OF DESCENT AND THE SKIDS SPREAD. THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE AGAIN AND BEGAN TO SPIN. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A TREE AND FLIPPED ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE MAIN ROTOR, TAIL ROTOR, FUSELAGE, AND TAIL BOOM. PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR LACERATION TO FINGER. WITNESSES IN THE AREA REPORTED THAT CLOUDS WERE SEEN OBSCURING MOUNTAIN TOPS AT THE TIME OF THIS ACCIDENT. THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY (DPS) PERFORMED THE SEARCH AND RESCUE OF THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA^. THE PILOT FROM DPS STATED THAT WEATHER AT FLAGSTAFF AIRPORT AT THE TIME OF HIS DEPARTURE WAS IFR AND THAT HE HAD TO REQUEST A SPECIAL VFR DEPARTURE TO DEPART THE AIRPORT. THIS PILOT STATED THAT THE WEATHER AT THE CRASH SITE WAS MARGINAL VFR AT BEST. THE PILOT FROM DPS STATED THAT THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA^ HAD STATED DURING HIS PICKUP FROM THE LANDING AREA THAT HE HAD ENTERED IMC BUT WAS OKAY BECAUSE HE HAD AN AIRPLANE INSTRUMENT RATING. THE PILOT FROM DPS STATED THAT THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA^ APPEARED DISORIENTED AND WAS NOT SURE OF THE LOCATION OF THE AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.