What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The helicopter departed lewiston ?nez perce county regional airport (lws) at 1000L and was reported overdue by the owner later that day. The wreckage was discovered in a ravine by firefighters who were fighting a wild fire in the area. Evidence indicates the crash started the fire.
The crash site was located in a ravine approximately 400 feet below two power lines spanning the ravine. The wreckage trail started beneath the power lines, approximately 100 yards south of the main wreckage location, and consisted of pieces of plexiglas and a window frame. The main wreckage was comprised of the fuselage and the tail boom. The tail boom, which was relatively intact, was found folded over the fuselage. The fuselage had been consumed in the post-crash fire.
The pilot and passenger died in the crash.
As the FAA filed it
THE HELICOPTER DEPARTED LEWISTON ?NEZ PERCE COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT (LWS) AT 1000L AND WAS REPORTED OVERDUE BY THE OWNER LATER THAT DAY. THE WRECKAGE WAS DISCOVERED IN A RAVINE BY FIREFIGHTERS WHO WERE FIGHTING A WILD FIRE IN THE AREA. EVIDENCE INDICATES THE CRASH STARTED THE FIRE.
THE CRASH SITE WAS LOCATED IN A RAVINE APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET BELOW TWO POWER LINES SPANNING THE RAVINE. THE WRECKAGE TRAIL STARTED BENEATH THE POWER LINES, APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS SOUTH OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE LOCATION, AND CONSISTED OF PIECES OF PLEXIGLAS AND A WINDOW FRAME. THE MAIN WRECKAGE WAS COMPRISED OF THE FUSELAGE AND THE TAIL BOOM. THE TAIL BOOM, WHICH WAS RELATIVELY INTACT, WAS FOUND FOLDED OVER THE FUSELAGE. THE FUSELAGE HAD BEEN CONSUMED IN THE POST-CRASH FIRE.
THE PILOT AND PASSENGER DIED IN THE CRASH.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.