What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
While conducting night traffic pattern student training, helicopter experience an anomally on downwind leg turning to left base. Helicopter rapidily descended on base leg into a field in the dark. Witness heard main rotor blades flutter, engine RPM rev up anda loud squeal followed by a thud. Helicopter landed hard on tail and belly in a field and main rotors flexed down on impact and cut open top of cockpit. Helicopter bounced forward 20 ft and rotated 180 degrees facing the opposite direction of flight path. Helicopter caught fire, became engulfed in flames and completely destroyed with 2 souls onboard.
As the FAA filed it
WHILE CONDUCTING NIGHT TRAFFIC PATTERN STUDENT TRAINING, HELICOPTER EXPERIENCE AN ANOMALLY ON DOWNWIND LEG TURNING TO LEFT BASE. HELICOPTER RAPIDILY DESCENDED ON BASE LEG INTO A FIELD IN THE DARK. WITNESS HEARD MAIN ROTOR BLADES FLUTTER, ENGINE RPM REV UP ANDA LOUD SQUEAL FOLLOWED BY A THUD. HELICOPTER LANDED HARD ON TAIL AND BELLY IN A FIELD AND MAIN ROTORS FLEXED DOWN ON IMPACT AND CUT OPEN TOP OF COCKPIT. HELICOPTER BOUNCED FORWARD 20 FT AND ROTATED 180 DEGREES FACING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF FLIGHT PATH. HELICOPTER CAUGHT FIRE, BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND COMPLETELY DESTROYED WITH 2 SOULS ONBOARD.
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 N2096W · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.