What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On November 16, 2008, at approximatley 0028 CDT, N153GF, a Bell OH58C, operated by the Arkansas game and fish commission, near Quitman Arkansas, experienced a hard landing. The hard landing resulted in destruction of the helicopter and one fatality. The pilot stated that after departing heber springs airport (hbz) for refueling the aircraft continued on a night surveillance mission toward the town of Quitman. The pilot was operating the aircraft on night vision goggles (NVG) and hovering at approximately 150 feet, when the instruments indicated a low rotor RPM warning. He attempted to recover the rotor RPM warning condition, however the aircraft struck the ground in a nose low, left bank attitude. He added that the rotor hit the cockpit on the left side and the passenger was fatally injured. At the time of the accident night VMC and light winds existed. The pilot was not injured. The 14CFR part 91 flight was operating under VFR. No flight plan. A post accident inspecton of the aircraft by inspectors of the lit FSDO and manufacturers representatives did not determine any anomalies related to the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON NOVEMBER 16, 2008, AT APPROXIMATLEY 0028 CDT, N153GF, A BELL OH58C, OPERATED BY THE ARKANSAS GAME AND FISH COMMISSION, NEAR QUITMAN ARKANSAS, EXPERIENCED A HARD LANDING. THE HARD LANDING RESULTED IN DESTRUCTION OF THE HELICOPTER AND ONE FATALITY. THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER DEPARTING HEBER SPRINGS AIRPORT (HBZ) FOR REFUELING THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED ON A NIGHT SURVEILLANCE MISSION TOWARD THE TOWN OF QUITMAN. THE PILOT WAS OPERATING THE AIRCRAFT ON NIGHT VISION GOGGLES (NVG) AND HOVERING AT APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET, WHEN THE INSTRUMENTS INDICATED A LOW ROTOR RPM WARNING. HE ATTEMPTED TO RECOVER THE ROTOR RPM WARNING CONDITION, HOWEVER THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND IN A NOSE LOW, LEFT BANK ATTITUDE. HE ADDED THAT THE ROTOR HIT THE COCKPIT ON THE LEFT SIDE AND THE PASSENGER WAS FATALLY INJURED. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT NIGHT VMC AND LIGHT WINDS EXISTED. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE 14CFR PART 91 FLIGHT WAS OPERATING UNDER VFR. NO FLIGHT PLAN. A POST ACCIDENT INSPECTON OF THE AIRCRAFT BY INSPECTORS OF THE LIT FSDO AND MANUFACTURERS REPRESENTATIVES DID NOT DETERMINE ANY ANOMALIES RELATED TO THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.