What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On November 15, 2006, at 1441 eastern standard time, a Robinson R44 ii, N74578, was substantially damaged when it impacted a parking lot following an attempted landing on a shipping trailer at the port of Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland. The certificated private pilot was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The positioning flight originated at shannon airport (ezf), fredericksburg, Virginia and was conducted under 14 CFR part 91. According to one eyewitness, the helicopter approached the trailer, and landed "softly", with the nose canted slightly to the helicopter's left. The helicopter then lifted until it was "light on the skids," and drifted left until the left skid was suspended above the ground, off the left side of the trailer. The helicopter then settled onto the trailer and the left skid "fell" toward the ground. The helicopter immediately lifted from the platform and entered a spin to the left. The rotor blades "sounded as if they were going faster" as the helicopter spun around the back side of the trailer, and collided with the ground on the right side of the trailer. The landing skids collapsed, and the helicopter spun "two to four" more times before it came to rest upright. The engine continued to run, and the pilot began to exit the helicopter, before the returned to the cockpit to shut down the engine. Several other witnesses provided similar written accounts. One witness stated that the left landing gear "slipped off the side," and that the helicopter then "shot quickly into the air." Another said "the landing skid fell of the platform" and then the helicopter "went into a spin." In an interview, the pilot said that the flight to the port was uneventful, and that the performance of the helicopter was "good," with no problems noted. He completed a landing to the platform, and then got the helicopter "light on the skids." At that point, one skid felt like it was "a pivot point, it felt like 'dynamic rollover.' I pulled too much collective, it got out of control, and I couldn't recover. As I was out of control, I remember reaching up and trying to get the key and the 'master' off to kill the engine."
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON NOVEMBER 15, 2006, AT 1441 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A ROBINSON R44 II, N74578, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED A PARKING LOT FOLLOWING AN ATTEMPTED LANDING ON A SHIPPING TRAILER AT THE PORT OF BALTIMORE, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE POSITIONING FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT SHANNON AIRPORT (EZF), FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA AND WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. ACCORDING TO ONE EYEWITNESS, THE HELICOPTER APPROACHED THE TRAILER, AND LANDED "SOFTLY", WITH THE NOSE CANTED SLIGHTLY TO THE HELICOPTER'S LEFT. THE HELICOPTER THEN LIFTED UNTIL IT WAS "LIGHT ON THE SKIDS," AND DRIFTED LEFT UNTIL THE LEFT SKID WAS SUSPENDED ABOVE THE GROUND, OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE TRAILER. THE HELICOPTER THEN SETTLED ONTO THE TRAILER AND THE LEFT SKID "FELL" TOWARD THE GROUND. THE HELICOPTER IMMEDIATELY LIFTED FROM THE PLATFORM AND ENTERED A SPIN TO THE LEFT. THE ROTOR BLADES "SOUNDED AS IF THEY WERE GOING FASTER" AS THE HELICOPTER SPUN AROUND THE BACK SIDE OF THE TRAILER, AND COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE TRAILER. THE LANDING SKIDS COLLAPSED, AND THE HELICOPTER SPUN "TWO TO FOUR" MORE TIMES BEFORE IT CAME TO REST UPRIGHT. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN, AND THE PILOT BEGAN TO EXIT THE HELICOPTER, BEFORE THE RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT TO SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE. SEVERAL OTHER WITNESSES PROVIDED SIMILAR WRITTEN ACCOUNTS. ONE WITNESS STATED THAT THE LEFT LANDING GEAR "SLIPPED OFF THE SIDE," AND THAT THE HELICOPTER THEN "SHOT QUICKLY INTO THE AIR." ANOTHER SAID "THE LANDING SKID FELL OF THE PLATFORM" AND THEN THE HELICOPTER "WENT INTO A SPIN." IN AN INTERVIEW, THE PILOT SAID THAT THE FLIGHT TO THE PORT WAS UNEVENTFUL, AND THAT THE PERFORMANCE OF THE HELICOPTER WAS "GOOD," WITH NO PROBLEMS NOTED. HE COMPLETED A LANDING TO THE PLATFORM, AND THEN GOT THE HELICOPTER "LIGHT ON THE SKIDS." AT THAT POINT, ONE SKID FELT LIKE IT WAS "A PIVOT POINT, IT FELT LIKE 'DYNAMIC ROLLOVER.' I PULLED TOO MUCH COLLECTIVE, IT GOT OUT OF CONTROL, AND I COULDN'T RECOVER. AS I WAS OUT OF CONTROL, I REMEMBER REACHING UP AND TRYING TO GET THE KEY AND THE 'MASTER' OFF TO KILL THE ENGINE."
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.