What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Commercial pilot privacy data omitted was operating the Robinson R-22 helicopter, for the boatpix company, over the south lake Havasu area for the purpose of obtaining photographs of various privately owned water craft. Subsequent retail revenue would be potentially generated from these photographs. privacy data omitted Stated to NTSB investigator michael huhn and mojave sherriff cindy hale that he piloted the helicopter at low level, parallel and adjacent to a target vessel. Once overtaking and passing across the bow, the helicopter course would be reversed providing photographic exposure to the opposite side of the vessel. privacy data omitted States that during one of these course reversals he unexpectedly entered a settling with power decent and was unable to correct the situation appropriately, inadvertently stalling the main rotor system and falling into the water.
As the FAA filed it
COMMERCIAL PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS OPERATING THE ROBINSON R-22 HELICOPTER, FOR THE BOATPIX COMPANY, OVER THE SOUTH LAKE HAVASU AREA FOR THE PURPOSE OF OBTAINING PHOTOGRAPHS OF VARIOUS PRIVATELY OWNED WATER CRAFT. SUBSEQUENT RETAIL REVENUE WOULD BE POTENTIALLY GENERATED FROM THESE PHOTOGRAPHS. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED TO NTSB INVESTIGATOR MICHAEL HUHN AND MOJAVE SHERRIFF CINDY HALE THAT HE PILOTED THE HELICOPTER AT LOW LEVEL, PARALLEL AND ADJACENT TO A TARGET VESSEL. ONCE OVERTAKING AND PASSING ACROSS THE BOW, THE HELICOPTER COURSE WOULD BE REVERSED PROVIDING PHOTOGRAPHIC EXPOSURE TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE VESSEL. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATES THAT DURING ONE OF THESE COURSE REVERSALS HE UNEXPECTEDLY ENTERED A SETTLING WITH POWER DECENT AND WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT THE SITUATION APPROPRIATELY, INADVERTENTLY STALLING THE MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM AND FALLING INTO THE WATER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.