What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On November 3,2011, a Eurocopter, bearing registration number N130AL departed at approximately 1715 EDT from a private heliport (1IN8) located 5 miles west of fort wayne, Indiana. The planned time enroute to the indianapolis heliport (8A4) would be approximately one hour. The pilot did not file a flight plan and there were a total of six souls on board. The following information was taken from written reports. The fort wayne airport (kfwa) weather at the approximate time of departure was gusty winds, 8 miles visibility, broken clouds at 1800 feet, and overcast at 6500 feet. The indianapolis airport (kind) weather at the approximate time of departure was 1 ¼ miles visibility, light drizzle, mist, and 400 feet overcast. The forecast weather for kind at the time of scheduled arrival was 3 miles visibility, light rain, mist, 800 feet scattered clouds and 1500 feet overcast. The pilot used an internet site for his weather briefing. While enroute, the pilot stated the weather remained VFR until approximately 10 miles north of the indianapolis metropolitan airport (kump). At this point the weather started to deteriorate below VFR minimums. At approximately 1800 EDT, he decided to hover over a field to evaluate the weather. The pilot stated, onboard satellite radar indicated that the weather was deteriorating rapidly, making it impossible to turn around or continue to the orginal destination, so he elected to divert to the nearest airport, Noblesville (I8O). According to the pilot, while enroute to Noblesville, it was becoming increasingly more difficult to see and he elected to attempt a precautionary landing in a harvested corn field just short of the Noblesville airport (I8O). He circled the field once to evaluate the landing area and approached the field from the north. Approaching a hover (winds were from the northeast) at approximately 30 feet, the helicopter started to settle rapidly. He added power attempting to slow the descent but the helicopter impacted the surface at about 10 knots forward speed. The right skid dug into the soft, wet, corn field and rolled over onto its right side. Eyewitness reports observed the helicopter flying low and slow over a corn field and looked to be out of control before it disappeared behind a tree line. Witnesses heard the sound of a loud crash and observed debris in the air. First responders stated when they arrived on SCÈNE all six occupants of the helicopter had exited without assistance. All occupants were treated by Noblesville fire department (nfd) and later released following a medical check out by nfd medics. The accident site is approximately 1 mile north of Noblesville airport (I8O). Examination of the wreckage determined that the aircraft was under its own power when the accident occurred. Initial point of ground contact was made by the aft right skid during a counterclockwise rotation. The aircraft began to roll over onto its right side, allowing the right horizontal stabilizer and right forward skid to contact the ground as the aircraft settled onto its right side. Passengers and pilot evacuated out the left door before the aircraft ignited into flames. The aircraft was approximately 85 percent destroyed by the post crash fire. The instrument panel and cabin area was destroyed by fire. The investigation found no mechanical defects that could have caused the accident. The pilot did not have an instrument rating on his private pilot certificate.
As the FAA filed it
ON NOVEMBER 3,2011, A EUROCOPTER, BEARING REGISTRATION NUMBER N130AL DEPARTED AT APPROXIMATELY 1715 EDT FROM A PRIVATE HELIPORT (1IN8) LOCATED 5 MILES WEST OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA. THE PLANNED TIME ENROUTE TO THE INDIANAPOLIS HELIPORT (8A4) WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR. THE PILOT DID NOT FILE A FLIGHT PLAN AND THERE WERE A TOTAL OF SIX SOULS ON BOARD.THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WAS TAKEN FROM WRITTEN REPORTS. THE FORT WAYNE AIRPORT (KFWA) WEATHER AT THE APPROXIMATE TIME OF DEPARTURE WAS GUSTY WINDS, 8 MILES VISIBILITY, BROKEN CLOUDS AT 1800 FEET, AND OVERCAST AT 6500 FEET. THE INDIANAPOLIS AIRPORT (KIND) WEATHER AT THE APPROXIMATE TIME OF DEPARTURE WAS 1 ¼ MILES VISIBILITY, LIGHT DRIZZLE, MIST, AND 400 FEET OVERCAST. THE FORECAST WEATHER FOR KIND AT THE TIME OF SCHEDULED ARRIVAL WAS 3 MILES VISIBILITY, LIGHT RAIN, MIST, 800 FEET SCATTERED CLOUDS AND 1500 FEET OVERCAST. THE PILOT USED AN INTERNET SITE FOR HIS WEATHER BRIEFING. WHILE ENROUTE, THE PILOT STATED THE WEATHER REMAINED VFR UNTIL APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES NORTH OF THE INDIANAPOLIS METROPOLITAN AIRPORT (KUMP). AT THIS POINT THE WEATHER STARTED TO DETERIORATE BELOW VFR MINIMUMS. AT APPROXIMATELY 1800 EDT, HE DECIDED TO HOVER OVER A FIELD TO EVALUATE THE WEATHER. THE PILOT STATED, ONBOARD SATELLITE RADAR INDICATED THAT THE WEATHER WAS DETERIORATING RAPIDLY, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN AROUND OR CONTINUE TO THE ORGINAL DESTINATION, SO HE ELECTED TO DIVERT TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT, NOBLESVILLE (I8O). ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, WHILE ENROUTE TO NOBLESVILLE, IT WAS BECOMING INCREASINGLY MORE DIFFICULT TO SEE AND HE ELECTED TO ATTEMPT A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING IN A HARVESTED CORN FIELD JUST SHORT OF THE NOBLESVILLE AIRPORT (I8O). HE CIRCLED THE FIELD ONCE TO EVALUATE THE LANDING AREA AND APPROACHED THE FIELD FROM THE NORTH. APPROACHING A HOVER (WINDS WERE FROM THE NORTHEAST) AT APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET, THE HELICOPTER STARTED TO SETTLE RAPIDLY. HE ADDED POWER ATTEMPTING TO SLOW THE DESCENT BUT THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE SURFACE AT ABOUT 10 KNOTS FORWARD SPEED. THE RIGHT SKID DUG INTO THE SOFT, WET, CORN FIELD AND ROLLED OVER ONTO ITS RIGHT SIDE. EYEWITNESS REPORTS OBSERVED THE HELICOPTER FLYING LOW AND SLOW OVER A CORN FIELD AND LOOKED TO BE OUT OF CONTROL BEFORE IT DISAPPEARED BEHIND A TREE LINE. WITNESSES HEARD THE SOUND OF A LOUD CRASH AND OBSERVED DEBRIS IN THE AIR. FIRST RESPONDERS STATED WHEN THEY ARRIVED ON SCÈNE ALL SIX OCCUPANTS OF THE HELICOPTER HAD EXITED WITHOUT ASSISTANCE. ALL OCCUPANTS WERE TREATED BY NOBLESVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT (NFD) AND LATER RELEASED FOLLOWING A MEDICAL CHECK OUT BY NFD MEDICS.THE ACCIDENT SITE IS APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE NORTH OF NOBLESVILLE AIRPORT (I8O). EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE DETERMINED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNDER ITS OWN POWER WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. INITIAL POINT OF GROUND CONTACT WAS MADE BY THE AFT RIGHT SKID DURING A COUNTERCLOCKWISE ROTATION. THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO ROLL OVER ONTO ITS RIGHT SIDE, ALLOWING THE RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND RIGHT FORWARD SKID TO CONTACT THE GROUND AS THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED ONTO ITS RIGHT SIDE. PASSENGERS AND PILOT EVACUATED OUT THE LEFT DOOR BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT IGNITED INTO FLAMES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY 85 PERCENT DESTROYED BY THE POST CRASH FIRE. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND CABIN AREA WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE. THE INVESTIGATION FOUND NO MECHANICAL DEFECTS THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT DID NOT HAVE AN INSTRUMENT RATING ON HIS PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.