What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 07/19/08 at 1540 MDT a Hughes 369D helicopter N400BE impacted the ground while trying to maintain altitude just after taking off from Carbon county airport, Price ut. The part 91 pleasure flight had orginated earlier from a fishing trip on the green river. The helicopter landed at Price at aprox 1515 MDT with a second helo. The pilot privacy data omitted had the helo serviced with 20 gallons of fuel. At this time one passenger a 11 year old male deplaned and swapped with an adult male privacy data omitted son. At 1540 both helo's departed Price, in a southerly direction into the wind. The other pilot stated that shortly after being airbourne the Hughes turned north, downwind, to return spanish fork, UT, and immediately began to sink. The pilot of the second helo lost sight of N400BE and did not see the crash. N400BE crashed .7 miles from the airport, heading in a north west direction, the aircraft impacted the ground skids first and catapulted 17 feet landing inverted on the main rotor head. There was an intense post crash fire that consumed most of the wreckage. All three occupants were killed. Field elevation at Price 5700 ft, temperature was 93 degrees, density altitude was about 9330 ft. no preflight was conducted.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 07/19/08 AT 1540 MDT A HUGHES 369D HELICOPTER N400BE IMPACTED THE GROUND WHILE TRYING TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE JUST AFTER TAKING OFF FROM CARBON COUNTY AIRPORT, PRICE UT. THE PART 91 PLEASURE FLIGHT HAD ORGINATED EARLIER FROM A FISHING TRIP ON THE GREEN RIVER. THE HELICOPTER LANDED AT PRICE AT APROX 1515 MDT WITH A SECOND HELO. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD THE HELO SERVICED WITH 20 GALLONS OF FUEL. AT THIS TIME ONE PASSENGER A 11 YEAR OLD MALE DEPLANED AND SWAPPED WITH AN ADULT MALE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SON. AT 1540 BOTH HELO'S DEPARTED PRICE, IN A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION INTO THE WIND. THE OTHER PILOT STATED THAT SHORTLY AFTER BEING AIRBOURNE THE HUGHES TURNED NORTH, DOWNWIND, TO RETURN SPANISH FORK, UT, AND IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO SINK. THE PILOT OF THE SECOND HELO LOST SIGHT OF N400BE AND DID NOT SEE THE CRASH. N400BE CRASHED .7 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT, HEADING IN A NORTH WEST DIRECTION, THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND SKIDS FIRST AND CATAPULTED 17 FEET LANDING INVERTED ON THE MAIN ROTOR HEAD. THERE WAS AN INTENSE POST CRASH FIRE THAT CONSUMED MOST OF THE WRECKAGE. ALL THREE OCCUPANTS WERE KILLED. FIELD ELEVATION AT PRICE 5700 FT, TEMPERATURE WAS 93 DEGREES, DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS ABOUT 9330 FT. NO PREFLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.