What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
After approximately 40 minutes of flight time and with the helicopter positioned upwind, the pilot began flying crosswind over a tree line while descending to about 10-15 feet AGL stopping the descend and forward speed to make a left pedal turn with minimum ground speed. When the pilot stablized in a stationary downwind hover for about 2-3 seconds with approximztely half cyclic, the helicopter suddenly pitched forward, with out cyclic input, and started to move forward and descend. For about 1-2 seconds the helicopter continued to accelerate forward while losing more altitude. When the pilot realized that he could not stop the forward movement with full aft cyclic nor the descend by adding power to the red line, he decided to make a right turn in to the wind with right pedal and cyclic. Everything happened in about 1-2 seconds in which further altitude was lost. In a crosswind path the right skid came in contact with the ground first and then the left skid after which the helicopter flipped over on its right side. It appears that when the rotor contacted the ground, the pilot lost complete control of the helicopter.
As the FAA filed it
AFTER APPROXIMATELY 40 MINUTES OF FLIGHT TIME AND WITH THE HELICOPTER POSITIONED UPWIND, THE PILOT BEGAN FLYING CROSSWIND OVER A TREE LINE WHILE DESCENDING TO ABOUT 10-15 FEET AGL STOPPING THE DESCEND AND FORWARD SPEED TO MAKE A LEFT PEDAL TURN WITH MINIMUM GROUND SPEED. WHEN THE PILOT STABLIZED IN A STATIONARY DOWNWIND HOVER FOR ABOUT 2-3 SECONDS WITH APPROXIMZTELY HALF CYCLIC, THE HELICOPTER SUDDENLY PITCHED FORWARD, WITH OUT CYCLIC INPUT, AND STARTED TO MOVE FORWARD AND DESCEND. FOR ABOUT 1-2 SECONDS THE HELICOPTER CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE FORWARD WHILE LOSING MORE ALTITUDE. WHEN THE PILOT REALIZED THAT HE COULD NOT STOP THE FORWARD MOVEMENT WITH FULL AFT CYCLIC NOR THE DESCEND BY ADDING POWER TO THE RED LINE, HE DECIDED TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN IN TO THE WIND WITH RIGHT PEDAL AND CYCLIC. EVERYTHING HAPPENED IN ABOUT 1-2 SECONDS IN WHICH FURTHER ALTITUDE WAS LOST. IN A CROSSWIND PATH THE RIGHT SKID CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE GROUND FIRST AND THEN THE LEFT SKID AFTER WHICH THE HELICOPTER FLIPPED OVER ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. IT APPEARS THAT WHEN THE ROTOR CONTACTED THE GROUND, THE PILOT LOST COMPLETE CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N494SH · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.