What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 18, 2014, at approximately 0740 PDT, AS-350-B2 helicopter, N250FB, operating under 14CFR part 91 in visual meteorological conditions (VMC), crashed and burned during take-off from a metropolitan down town roof top heliport. The two occupants, the pilot-in-command and a news photographer, were killed in the crash. The helicopter was destroyed by the post-crash fire.
N250FB was conducting electronic news gathering (eng) operations for a local television broadcast station (tv station). After covering an early morning news story, the crew flew to the tv station heli-pad located in downtown Seattle to refuel before returning to their base at renton municipal airport (rnt). N250FB landed without incident on the roof top heli-pad at approximately 0720 PDT.
After re-fueling and conducting a walk around inspection, the pilot started the helicopter at approximately 0735 PDT and remained on the pad for about five minutes. At approximately 0740 PDT, N250FB lifted off the pad in a level attitude, rotating left with an evident loss of directional control. The aircraft rotated 2½ times about the vertical axis at approximately ten to fifteen feet over the heli-pad maintaining a nearly level attitude in pitch and roll as it drifted over the north side of the heli-deck and out of ground effect. The nose pitched down as the aircraft rolled hard right and descended out of control to the street 100 feet below. The aircraft impacted the street on its right side and crashed on an automobile waiting at a traffic light. High impact forces ruptured the fuel tank causing the aircraft to explode into flame. The helicopter and three cars were destroyed by fire. The Seattle fire department responded within minutes and extinguished the flames preventing further injury to persons and damage to property. The sole occupant of the vehicle struck by the helicopter sustained second and third degree burns and was transported to the hospital.
Amendment pending analysis of hydraulic components.
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 18, 2014, AT APPROXIMATELY 0740 PDT, AS-350-B2 HELICOPTER, N250FB, OPERATING UNDER 14CFR PART 91 IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (VMC), CRASHED AND BURNED DURING TAKE-OFF FROM A METROPOLITAN DOWN TOWN ROOF TOP HELIPORT. THE TWO OCCUPANTS, THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND AND A NEWS PHOTOGRAPHER, WERE KILLED IN THE CRASH. THE HELICOPTER WAS DESTROYED BY THE POST-CRASH FIRE.
N250FB WAS CONDUCTING ELECTRONIC NEWS GATHERING (ENG) OPERATIONS FOR A LOCAL TELEVISION BROADCAST STATION (TV STATION). AFTER COVERING AN EARLY MORNING NEWS STORY, THE CREW FLEW TO THE TV STATION HELI-PAD LOCATED IN DOWNTOWN SEATTLE TO REFUEL BEFORE RETURNING TO THEIR BASE AT RENTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (RNT). N250FB LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT ON THE ROOF TOP HELI-PAD AT APPROXIMATELY 0720 PDT.
AFTER RE-FUELING AND CONDUCTING A WALK AROUND INSPECTION, THE PILOT STARTED THE HELICOPTER AT APPROXIMATELY 0735 PDT AND REMAINED ON THE PAD FOR ABOUT FIVE MINUTES. AT APPROXIMATELY 0740 PDT, N250FB LIFTED OFF THE PAD IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE, ROTATING LEFT WITH AN EVIDENT LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE AIRCRAFT ROTATED 2½ TIMES ABOUT THE VERTICAL AXIS AT APPROXIMATELY TEN TO FIFTEEN FEET OVER THE HELI-PAD MAINTAINING A NEARLY LEVEL ATTITUDE IN PITCH AND ROLL AS IT DRIFTED OVER THE NORTH SIDE OF THE HELI-DECK AND OUT OF GROUND EFFECT. THE NOSE PITCHED DOWN AS THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED HARD RIGHT AND DESCENDED OUT OF CONTROL TO THE STREET 100 FEET BELOW. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE STREET ON ITS RIGHT SIDE AND CRASHED ON AN AUTOMOBILE WAITING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. HIGH IMPACT FORCES RUPTURED THE FUEL TANK CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO EXPLODE INTO FLAME. THE HELICOPTER AND THREE CARS WERE DESTROYED BY FIRE. THE SEATTLE FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED WITHIN MINUTES AND EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES PREVENTING FURTHER INJURY TO PERSONS AND DAMAGE TO PROPERTY. THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE VEHICLE STRUCK BY THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED SECOND AND THIRD DEGREE BURNS AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL.
AMENDMENT PENDING ANALYSIS OF HYDRAULIC COMPONENTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.