What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 10/16/08 at approximately 1715Z a Robinson helicopter R-22-B. N9434MH, piloted by privacy data omitted, departed norwich, NY (ioc), on route to zanesville, Ohio (zzv), during marginal weather conditions. At approximately 1740Z the aircraft impacted the east slope of a 1600 foot hill near sodom road in ithaca, NY at approximately the 1540 foot level. Evidence at the accident site indicates that the aircraft may have been in cruise configuration and attitude when impacting the trees on a steep hillside.
As the FAA filed it
ON 10/16/08 AT APPROXIMATELY 1715Z A ROBINSON HELICOPTER R-22-B. N9434MH, PILOTED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, DEPARTED NORWICH, NY (IOC), ON ROUTE TO ZANESVILLE, OHIO (ZZV), DURING MARGINAL WEATHER CONDITIONS. AT APPROXIMATELY 1740Z THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE EAST SLOPE OF A 1600 FOOT HILL NEAR SODOM ROAD IN ITHACA, NY AT APPROXIMATELY THE 1540 FOOT LEVEL. EVIDENCE AT THE ACCIDENT SITE INDICATES THAT THE AIRCRAFT MAY HAVE BEEN IN CRUISE CONFIGURATION AND ATTITUDE WHEN IMPACTING THE TREES ON A STEEP HILLSIDE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.