What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Emergency services (EMS) rotorcraft N361SF, Bell 407, was on the approach segment inbound to comanche county community Hospital?s rooftop heliport (180K) and was forced to make an emergency landing. The pilot was occupying the right seat. The aircraft was being repositioned to this destination after refueling at the Lawton airport (klaw). The pilot stated he approached the helipad from the south/southeast, heading approximately 325 degrees towards the destination. The pilot stated he made a slight right turn to set up for landing to the east/northeast. The approach was reported as a downwind leg on the west side of the heliport, making a shallow right base leg, approximately 500FPM descent, steep approach, airspeed below 40KTS yet above effective translational lift (etl), winds calm from 030 at 4KTS. At 125 ft AGL on the final leg, the pilot stated he attempted to stop the turn on the right base leg to final, with left cyclic. When that action was unsuccessful in stopping the right turn, he continued moving the cyclic further left, pushing the cyclic against his left leg. The right turn continued with the left cyclic pushed against the left leg of the pilot. The pilot alerted the EMS crew that he was initiating a go-around, increased collective and added left pedal, simultaneously attempting to stop the right turn, and attempting to climb. The altitude was approximately 100 ft AGL when the go-around was attempted. The resultant effect of the pilot actions on the go-around was unsuccesful and the right rate of turn increased and started a nose low descending, arcing turn. Impressions related to the flow of the impact scars along the asphalt road, flowing westerly, include: initial impact on the asphalt was southwest of the helipad, approximately 240 ft from the heliport landing pad. An overhanging tree limb appears to have been cut by a rotor strike, approximately 15 feet above the ground, and paint transfer marks from the right skid, sliding along the curb, both approximately 40 feet from the initial impact point. Main and tail rotor stikes to a 6 foot brick privacy fence, beginning approximately 50 feet from initial impact point and continued through approximately 65 feet from intial impact point. Tail rotor, gear box, shaft, and both blades found dislocated from aircraft approximately 100 feet from the intial impact point, east of the tail and south of the brick fence. Ground marks displayed a skidding arrangement, flowing down the asphalt to the west. Ground marks appeared to stop approximately 130 feet from the intial impact point, with the nose of the aircraft on a heading of approximately 170 degrees. The tail was in contact with the brick fence, and the tail boom was creased/bent aft of the main body. Flight control continuity was established for all axis of control.
As the FAA filed it
EMERGENCY SERVICES (EMS) ROTORCRAFT N361SF, BELL 407, WAS ON THE APPROACH SEGMENT INBOUND TO COMANCHE COUNTY COMMUNITY HOSPITAL?S ROOFTOP HELIPORT (180K) AND WAS FORCED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING. THE PILOT WAS OCCUPYING THE RIGHT SEAT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING REPOSITIONED TO THIS DESTINATION AFTER REFUELING AT THE LAWTON AIRPORT (KLAW). THE PILOT STATED HE APPROACHED THE HELIPAD FROM THE SOUTH/SOUTHEAST, HEADING APPROXIMATELY 325 DEGREES TOWARDS THE DESTINATION. THE PILOT STATED HE MADE A SLIGHT RIGHT TURN TO SET UP FOR LANDING TO THE EAST/NORTHEAST. THE APPROACH WAS REPORTED AS A DOWNWIND LEG ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE HELIPORT, MAKING A SHALLOW RIGHT BASE LEG, APPROXIMATELY 500FPM DESCENT, STEEP APPROACH, AIRSPEED BELOW 40KTS YET ABOVE EFFECTIVE TRANSLATIONAL LIFT (ETL), WINDS CALM FROM 030 AT 4KTS. AT 125 FT AGL ON THE FINAL LEG, THE PILOT STATED HE ATTEMPTED TO STOP THE TURN ON THE RIGHT BASE LEG TO FINAL, WITH LEFT CYCLIC. WHEN THAT ACTION WAS UNSUCCESSFUL IN STOPPING THE RIGHT TURN, HE CONTINUED MOVING THE CYCLIC FURTHER LEFT, PUSHING THE CYCLIC AGAINST HIS LEFT LEG. THE RIGHT TURN CONTINUED WITH THE LEFT CYCLIC PUSHED AGAINST THE LEFT LEG OF THE PILOT. THE PILOT ALERTED THE EMS CREW THAT HE WAS INITIATING A GO-AROUND, INCREASED COLLECTIVE AND ADDED LEFT PEDAL, SIMULTANEOUSLY ATTEMPTING TO STOP THE RIGHT TURN, AND ATTEMPTING TO CLIMB. THE ALTITUDE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100 FT AGL WHEN THE GO-AROUND WAS ATTEMPTED. THE RESULTANT EFFECT OF THE PILOT ACTIONS ON THE GO-AROUND WAS UNSUCCESFUL AND THE RIGHT RATE OF TURN INCREASED AND STARTED A NOSE LOW DESCENDING, ARCING TURN. IMPRESSIONS RELATED TO THE FLOW OF THE IMPACT SCARS ALONG THE ASPHALT ROAD, FLOWING WESTERLY, INCLUDE: INITIAL IMPACT ON THE ASPHALT WAS SOUTHWEST OF THE HELIPAD, APPROXIMATELY 240 FT FROM THE HELIPORT LANDING PAD. AN OVERHANGING TREE LIMB APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN CUT BY A ROTOR STRIKE, APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, AND PAINT TRANSFER MARKS FROM THE RIGHT SKID, SLIDING ALONG THE CURB, BOTH APPROXIMATELY 40 FEET FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT. MAIN AND TAIL ROTOR STIKES TO A 6 FOOT BRICK PRIVACY FENCE, BEGINNING APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET FROM INITIAL IMPACT POINT AND CONTINUED THROUGH APPROXIMATELY 65 FEET FROM INTIAL IMPACT POINT. TAIL ROTOR, GEAR BOX, SHAFT, AND BOTH BLADES FOUND DISLOCATED FROM AIRCRAFT APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET FROM THE INTIAL IMPACT POINT, EAST OF THE TAIL AND SOUTH OF THE BRICK FENCE. GROUND MARKS DISPLAYED A SKIDDING ARRANGEMENT, FLOWING DOWN THE ASPHALT TO THE WEST. GROUND MARKS APPEARED TO STOP APPROXIMATELY 130 FEET FROM THE INTIAL IMPACT POINT, WITH THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT ON A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 170 DEGREES. THE TAIL WAS IN CONTACT WITH THE BRICK FENCE, AND THE TAIL BOOM WAS CREASED/BENT AFT OF THE MAIN BODY. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED FOR ALL AXIS OF CONTROL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.