What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On December 31, 2010, about 1426 eastern standard time, an Eurocopter EC-135-P2 helicopter, N312PH, operated by petroleum helicopters incorporated as aircare 5, and a Cessna 172H, N2876L, collided in midair approximately 1/2 mile northwest of the Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport (shd), Weyers Cave, Virginia. The Cessna airplane departed controlled flight after the right wing separated and the airplane was destroyed by impact forces at ground contact. The helicopter sustained minor damage and landed safely at shd. The certificated commercial pilot and passenger on board the airplane were fatally injured. The certificated commercial pilot and two medical flight crewmembers on board the helicopter were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the airplane's local personal flight that originated from shd, at 1402, and for the helicopters positioning flight that originated from the university of Virginia medical center (8VA5), charlottesville, Virginia, about 1410. A company flight plan was filed for the helicopter positioning flight, and no flight plan was filed for the airplane flight, which were both conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations part 91.
As the FAA filed it
ON DECEMBER 31, 2010, ABOUT 1426 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, AN EUROCOPTER EC-135-P2 HELICOPTER, N312PH, OPERATED BY PETROLEUM HELICOPTERS INCORPORATED AS AIRCARE 5, AND A CESSNA 172H, N2876L, COLLIDED IN MIDAIR APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE NORTHWEST OF THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY REGIONAL AIRPORT (SHD), WEYERS CAVE, VIRGINIA. THE CESSNA AIRPLANE DEPARTED CONTROLLED FLIGHT AFTER THE RIGHT WING SEPARATED AND THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT FORCES AT GROUND CONTACT. THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE AND LANDED SAFELY AT SHD. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT AND PASSENGER ON BOARD THE AIRPLANE WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT AND TWO MEDICAL FLIGHT CREWMEMBERS ON BOARD THE HELICOPTER WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE AIRPLANE'S LOCAL PERSONAL FLIGHT THAT ORIGINATED FROM SHD, AT 1402, AND FOR THE HELICOPTERS POSITIONING FLIGHT THAT ORIGINATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA MEDICAL CENTER (8VA5), CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA, ABOUT 1410. A COMPANY FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE HELICOPTER POSITIONING FLIGHT, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE AIRPLANE FLIGHT, WHICH WERE BOTH CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.