What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N445MT, a Bell 407, departed mercy medical center in mason city, Iowa at 20:45 CST. The destination was emmetsburg, Iowa to pick up a patient. The pilot and crew were wearing night vision goggles. Weather radar showed VFR conditions, but an Iowa state trooper stated that around that time rain turned to freezing rain and the roads became very slick. This aircraft is not designed to operate in icing conditions. An eye witness stated she saw the aircraft approximately 200 feet AGL, at a 20 to 25 degree nose down attitude traveling in an east to west direction. In a communication with the company com center the pilot stated his route to emmetsburg would be via algona to avoid weather. There is also a transmission between the com center and the helicopter in which the crew was receiving patient information. During this transmission a faint broadcast can be heard which sounds like the pilot stating "dispatch, I'm really sorry, but put me on the ground..." The remainder of the pilot's transmission can not be understood as the com center signal was much stronger. A flight track of the aircraft shows the pilot over highway 18 until reaching Ventura, Iowa at which time he turned sharply to the north west; this occured 11 minutes into the flight. The aircraft impacted the ground 4 miles north of Ventura. The fuel tank ruptured. There was a post crash fire, the aircraft was destroyed and the crew killed.
As the FAA filed it
N445MT, A BELL 407, DEPARTED MERCY MEDICAL CENTER IN MASON CITY, IOWA AT 20:45 CST. THE DESTINATION WAS EMMETSBURG, IOWA TO PICK UP A PATIENT. THE PILOT AND CREW WERE WEARING NIGHT VISION GOGGLES. WEATHER RADAR SHOWED VFR CONDITIONS, BUT AN IOWA STATE TROOPER STATED THAT AROUND THAT TIME RAIN TURNED TO FREEZING RAIN AND THE ROADS BECAME VERY SLICK. THIS AIRCRAFT IS NOT DESIGNED TO OPERATE IN ICING CONDITIONS. AN EYE WITNESS STATED SHE SAW THE AIRCRAFT APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET AGL, AT A 20 TO 25 DEGREE NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE TRAVELING IN AN EAST TO WEST DIRECTION.IN A COMMUNICATION WITH THE COMPANY COM CENTER THE PILOT STATED HIS ROUTE TO EMMETSBURG WOULD BE VIA ALGONA TO AVOID WEATHER. THERE IS ALSO A TRANSMISSION BETWEEN THE COM CENTER AND THE HELICOPTER IN WHICH THE CREW WAS RECEIVING PATIENT INFORMATION. DURING THIS TRANSMISSION A FAINT BROADCAST CAN BE HEARD WHICH SOUNDS LIKE THE PILOT STATING "DISPATCH, I'M REALLY SORRY, BUT PUT ME ON THE GROUND..." THE REMAINDER OF THE PILOT'S TRANSMISSION CAN NOT BE UNDERSTOOD AS THE COM CENTER SIGNAL WAS MUCH STRONGER. A FLIGHT TRACK OF THE AIRCRAFT SHOWS THE PILOT OVER HIGHWAY 18 UNTIL REACHING VENTURA, IOWA AT WHICH TIME HE TURNED SHARPLY TO THE NORTH WEST; THIS OCCURED 11 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND 4 MILES NORTH OF VENTURA. THE FUEL TANK RUPTURED. THERE WAS A POST CRASH FIRE, THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND THE CREW KILLED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.