What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
October 12, 2012, this office received a call from com. Center at 9:30 CDT, reporting a Robinson R44 helicopter accident in Fredericksburg, TX. The aircraft crashed near a mountain site fatally injuring all tree occupants on board. Post accident investigations revealed the initial impact of the aircraft was at a steep angle into the mountain terrain with the main skids separating completely off the cabin structure. The main rotor contacted the ground leaving an imprint on the ground, and the aircraft was airborne 32 feet from the initial impact. The aircraft then struck a tree, and then broke in half, with the cabin resting in its place approximately 8 feet facing south east from the tree trunk, and the tail section wrapped around the tree with its associated rotor blade components intact. The main rotor blades separated from the center hub and came to rest next to the tree trunk as well. The aircraft engine came to rest 110 feet south/east from the initial impact. There were two male bodies layed approximately 90 feet from the aircraft initial impact. The right rear passenger was trapped in the crushed cabin area. No post crash fire, and no evidence of fuel spillage at the site. Photos were taken of the impact, main rotor components, cabin, tail section, engine, flight controls, and scattered crash debris.
As the FAA filed it
OCTOBER 12, 2012, THIS OFFICE RECEIVED A CALL FROM COM. CENTER AT 9:30 CDT, REPORTING A ROBINSON R44 HELICOPTER ACCIDENT IN FREDERICKSBURG, TX. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED NEAR A MOUNTAIN SITE FATALLY INJURING ALL TREE OCCUPANTS ON BOARD. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS REVEALED THE INITIAL IMPACT OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT A STEEP ANGLE INTO THE MOUNTAIN TERRAIN WITH THE MAIN SKIDS SEPARATING COMPLETELY OFF THE CABIN STRUCTURE. THE MAIN ROTOR CONTACTED THE GROUND LEAVING AN IMPRINT ON THE GROUND, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS AIRBORNE 32 FEET FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT. THE AIRCRAFT THEN STRUCK A TREE, AND THEN BROKE IN HALF, WITH THE CABIN RESTING IN ITS PLACE APPROXIMATELY 8 FEET FACING SOUTH EAST FROM THE TREE TRUNK, AND THE TAIL SECTION WRAPPED AROUND THE TREE WITH ITS ASSOCIATED ROTOR BLADE COMPONENTS INTACT. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES SEPARATED FROM THE CENTER HUB AND CAME TO REST NEXT TO THE TREE TRUNK AS WELL. THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE CAME TO REST 110 FEET SOUTH/EAST FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT. THERE WERE TWO MALE BODIES LAYED APPROXIMATELY 90 FEET FROM THE AIRCRAFT INITIAL IMPACT. THE RIGHT REAR PASSENGER WAS TRAPPED IN THE CRUSHED CABIN AREA. NO POST CRASH FIRE, AND NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL SPILLAGE AT THE SITE.PHOTOS WERE TAKEN OF THE IMPACT, MAIN ROTOR COMPONENTS, CABIN, TAIL SECTION, ENGINE, FLIGHT CONTROLS, AND SCATTERED CRASH DEBRIS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.