What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On February 14, 2010, @ approx. 1505 mountain standard time, a Eurocopter EC135 T1, N127TS, a twin engine turbine powered helicopter, was destroyed following a loss of control and impact with terrain near Cave Creek, Arizona. The commercial pilot and four passengers were killed. The helicopter was registered to services group of america inc., of scottsdale, Arizona. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was filed. The flight was being operated under part 91. The flight had departed a private ranch in parks, Arizona, approximately 1445. Final destination was to be scottsdale airport in Arizona. Winesses reported observing the helicopter proceeding from the north to the south at an altitude of about 300' AGL. Witnesses subsequently reported hearing two to several "popping sounds", followed by the helicopter doing two flat spins in a clockwise direction. The helicopter then went into a vertical nose dive and impacted the ground. A ground fire ensued and consumed the aircraft. An initial onsite examination of the wreckage revealed that the helicopter came to rest just north of a river wash on a residential gravel access road ( highland and 73rd st. ). Main rotor blade debris was observed over an area of about one -quarter mile from the impact site to the north and in line with the helicopter's observed flight path. Some of the left horizontal stablizer was recovered along this path.
As the FAA filed it
ON FEBRUARY 14, 2010, @ APPROX. 1505 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A EUROCOPTER EC135 T1, N127TS, A TWIN ENGINE TURBINE POWERED HELICOPTER, WAS DESTROYED FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL AND IMPACT WITH TERRAIN NEAR CAVE CREEK, ARIZONA. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND FOUR PASSENGERS WERE KILLED. THE HELICOPTER WAS REGISTERED TO SERVICES GROUP OF AMERICA INC., OF SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER PART 91. THE FLIGHT HAD DEPARTED A PRIVATE RANCH IN PARKS, ARIZONA, APPROXIMATELY 1445. FINAL DESTINATION WAS TO BE SCOTTSDALE AIRPORT IN ARIZONA. WINESSES REPORTED OBSERVING THE HELICOPTER PROCEEDING FROM THE NORTH TO THE SOUTH AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 300' AGL. WITNESSES SUBSEQUENTLY REPORTED HEARING TWO TO SEVERAL "POPPING SOUNDS", FOLLOWED BY THE HELICOPTER DOING TWO FLAT SPINS IN A CLOCKWISE DIRECTION. THE HELICOPTER THEN WENT INTO A VERTICAL NOSE DIVE AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. A GROUND FIRE ENSUED AND CONSUMED THE AIRCRAFT.AN INITIAL ONSITE EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST JUST NORTH OF A RIVER WASH ON A RESIDENTIAL GRAVEL ACCESS ROAD ( HIGHLAND AND 73RD ST. ). MAIN ROTOR BLADE DEBRIS WAS OBSERVED OVER AN AREA OF ABOUT ONE -QUARTER MILE FROM THE IMPACT SITE TO THE NORTH AND IN LINE WITH THE HELICOPTER'S OBSERVED FLIGHT PATH. SOME OF THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABLIZER WAS RECOVERED ALONG THIS PATH.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.