What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The Cessna 172 was operating in the traffic pattern at night with a flight instructor and student on board while two military helicopters were operating in the pattern at the same time. The flight instructor in the 172 stated the helicopters were "extremely hard to see and not very will lit" and "appeared to be paying no attention to my radio calls." While landing on runway 3 the pilot of the Cessna 172 misjudged the position of the helicopter (which he thought was about two thirds of the way down the 7000 foot runway and departing) and penetrated the rotor downwash from the helicopter that was actually hovering approximately 200 feet over the runway. The Cessna 172 subsequently made a hard landing and was substantially damaged. There were no injuries and helicopter was not affected by the accident. The helicopter continued to operate in the area until the emergency vehicles arrived, then it landed on the adjacent ramp.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE CESSNA 172 WAS OPERATING IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AT NIGHT WITH A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT ON BOARD WHILE TWO MILITARY HELICOPTERS WERE OPERATING IN THE PATTERN AT THE SAME TIME. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR IN THE 172 STATED THE HELICOPTERS WERE "EXTREMELY HARD TO SEE AND NOT VERY WILL LIT" AND "APPEARED TO BE PAYING NO ATTENTION TO MY RADIO CALLS." WHILE LANDING ON RUNWAY 3 THE PILOT OF THE CESSNA 172 MISJUDGED THE POSITION OF THE HELICOPTER (WHICH HE THOUGHT WAS ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF THE WAY DOWN THE 7000 FOOT RUNWAY AND DEPARTING) AND PENETRATED THE ROTOR DOWNWASH FROM THE HELICOPTER THAT WAS ACTUALLY HOVERING APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET OVER THE RUNWAY. THE CESSNA 172 SUBSEQUENTLY MADE A HARD LANDING AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND HELICOPTER WAS NOT AFFECTED BY THE ACCIDENT. THE HELICOPTER CONTINUED TO OPERATE IN THE AREA UNTIL THE EMERGENCY VEHICLES ARRIVED, THEN IT LANDED ON THE ADJACENT RAMP.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.