20120706011979A

ON JULY 6, 2012 AT 1620 LOCAL TIME N565LH, A HU-269C HELICOPTER OWNED BY LONGHORN HELICOPTERS INC CRASHED APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES SOUTH OF THE DENTON AIRPORT (DTO) DURING A TRAINING FLIGHT. VMC CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND NO ONE WAS INJURED. THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE. THE PILOT HELD A COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATE AND FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR RATING. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE DENTON TEXAS AIRPORT ON JULY 6, 2012 AT 1555 LOCAL TIME.I RECEIVED A TELEPHONE CALL FROM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OWNER OF LONGHORN HELICOPTERS AT 1633 ON JULY 6, 2012 STATING ONE OF HIS AIRCRAFT HAD CRASHED INTO THE TREES IN THE AREA OF PILOT KNOB. THE PILOT HAD JUST CALLED TO NOTIFY HIM THAT NEITHER HE OR THE STUDENT WERE INJURED AND THE LOCATION OF THE HELICOPTER. AT 1641, IMMEDIATELY AFTER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CALL, I NOTIFIED THE REGIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER (ROC) WITH THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: N565LH, A HU-269C HELICOPTER OWNED BY LONGHORN HELICOPTERS INC OF DENTON, TX HAD CRASHED INTO TREES NEAR PILOT KNOB JUST SOUTH OF THE DENTON AIRPORT (DTO) WITH AN INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT ABOARD BUT WITH NO INJURIES. THE COMPANY OWNER AND THE DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE WERE CURRENTLY ENROUTE TO THE SCENE.I ARRIVED AT THE SCENE AT APPROXIMATELY 1820 AFTER MEETING A RANCH TRUCK AND BEING FERRIED TO THE REMOTELY LOCATED SCENE AND WALKING THROUGH THE WOODS TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE HELICOPTER WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET SOUTHWEST OF THE TAKEOFF POINT IN THE CONFINED AREA THEY WERE USING FOR TRAINING. THE HELICOPTER DESCENDED THROUGH APPROXIMATELY 30 TALL POST OAK TREES AND CAME TO REST FACING ON AN APPROXIMATELY NORTHEAST HEADING IN A VERTICAL NOSE DOWN POSITION. THE AIRFRAME WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND EXCEPT FOR ONE SHORT (1 FOOT) PIECE OF TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT FOUND 6 FEET NORTH, THE WREAKAGE WAS INTACT. THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVESHAFT PIECE APPEARED TO SHEARED UNDER POWER. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES WERE BADLY BENT AND TWISTED FROM CONTACT WITH THE TREES DURING ENGINE POWER ON. NUMEROUS TREE LIMBS AND TRUNKS EXHIBITED ROTOR AND AIRFRAME IMPACT DAMAGE. THE TAIL ROTOR WAS APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AND DIFFICULT TO EXAMINE BUT IT WAS INTACT AND EXHIBITED SOME ROTATIONAL DAMAGE. THE COCKPIT WAS SUSPENDED BETWEEN THE SKIDS WHICH WERE EMBEDDED IN THE GROUND VERTICALLY AND THE MAIN ROTOR MAST WHICH WAS RESTING ON A BENT OVER OAK TREE APPROXIMATELY 7 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE WIND SCREENS WERE BROKEN, BUT THE COCKPIT AND INSTRUMENTS WERE NEARLY UNDAMAGED. THE TREES CUSHIONED THE HELICOPTER'S DESCENT ALLOWING BOTH OCCUPANTS TO ESCAPE UNHARMED. AS REQUEST BY AARON SAUER, OF THE NTSB, I CLOSELY INSPECTED AND PHOTOGRAPHED THE MAIN AND TAIL ROTOR FLIGHT CONTROLS AND FOUND CONTINUITY. THE PILOT STATEMENTS CONFIRMED NO FLIGHT CONTROL PROBLEMS PRIOR TO THE CRASH. AFTER COMPLETING PHOTOGRAPHY, I CONFIRMED NO FUEL OR OIL LEAKAGE, THE BATTERY WAS DISCONNECTED AND THE FUEL SHUTOFF WAS CLOSED. MR. SAUER AND I HAD AGREED THAT IF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE FOUND TO HAVE CONTINUITY, I COULD RELEASE THE AIRCRAFT FOR RECOVERY AND I DID AT THIS TIME.