What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Written statement provided by pilot privacy data omitted on 02/14/08 to this office. In that statement the pilot privacy data omitted states: "I departed henderson, Nevada at approximately 1815 PST headed to Bullhead City, Arizona. When I turned on the landing lights on my approach to the ramp both bulbs were burned out. I continued my approach without the landing lights and struck the ramp with the toe of the right skid. The helicopter came back into the air and rotated right at which time the tail rotor struck the hangar. The helicopter rotated approximately 360 degrees before hitting the ground hard." This inspector contacted the pilot privacy data omitted by phone on 02/19/08. The pilot privacy data omitted stated that during his approach to land, he initiated an excessive flare prior to landing due to the loss of depth perception from the lack of a landing light. The tail rotor contacted the ground forcing the aircraft forward rapidly onto the skids. The aircraft bounced back into the air and began spinning to the right. The aircraft rotated rapidly clockwise until it came down hard again.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) WRITTEN STATEMENT PROVIDED BY PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ON 02/14/08 TO THIS OFFICE. IN THAT STATEMENT THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATES: "I DEPARTED HENDERSON, NEVADA AT APPROXIMATELY 1815 PST HEADED TO BULLHEAD CITY, ARIZONA. WHEN I TURNED ON THE LANDING LIGHTS ON MY APPROACH TO THE RAMP BOTH BULBS WERE BURNED OUT. I CONTINUED MY APPROACH WITHOUT THE LANDING LIGHTS AND STRUCK THE RAMP WITH THE TOE OF THE RIGHT SKID. THE HELICOPTER CAME BACK INTO THE AIR AND ROTATED RIGHT AT WHICH TIME THE TAIL ROTOR STRUCK THE HANGAR. THE HELICOPTER ROTATED APPROXIMATELY 360 DEGREES BEFORE HITTING THE GROUND HARD." THIS INSPECTOR CONTACTED THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ BY PHONE ON 02/19/08. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT DURING HIS APPROACH TO LAND, HE INITIATED AN EXCESSIVE FLARE PRIOR TO LANDING DUE TO THE LOSS OF DEPTH PERCEPTION FROM THE LACK OF A LANDING LIGHT. THE TAIL ROTOR CONTACTED THE GROUND FORCING THE AIRCRAFT FORWARD RAPIDLY ONTO THE SKIDS. THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED BACK INTO THE AIR AND BEGAN SPINNING TO THE RIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT ROTATED RAPIDLY CLOCKWISE UNTIL IT CAME DOWN HARD AGAIN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.