What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 24th, 2018, this office was notified of a small helicopter crash with injuries at the Gaines valley aviation airport in Gaines, NY. Inspectors arrived on scene at about 15:35 EDT and observed several emergency vehicles on NY route 279 Gaines-waterport road, at the entrance to the airport. The fire department had extinguished the fire at this time, and the injured pilot, who was the sole occupant, had been transported for medical attention. Inspectors contacted the regional operations center upon arrival on scene.
The crash site was located at 43 ̊17?24?n, 78 ̊13?21.02?w, in a pasture directly west of the airport, about 80 yards from the highway. The remains of the wreckage indicated that the aircraft was pointed in a westerly heading of 280 ̊. Local conditions were overcast skies with a light wind and a temperature in the mid 40?s f.
Upon approaching the site, inspectors found a conical air cleaner with the marking ?k&n?, located about 20 feet east of the wreckage. The burn area progressed to the south of the wreckage for about 15?. Approximately four feet of the red colored tail boom and the tail rotor assembly remained unburned. The tail rotor was separated from the tail boom, but in the immediate vicinity. The helicopter canopy was in fragments west of the wreckage, along with the remains of the pilot?s burned shirt. A gopro camera attached to a set of ear muffs and a pair of leather gloves were also in the same general area west of the wreckage. Within the burn area were the remains of the engine compartment and the cockpit. The helicopter skids were separated from the aircraft, and splayed out in either direction from the wreckage. The helicopter was laying on its left side. Both the main rotor and tail rotor were identifiable, with one main rotor bent in a downward direction of about 30 ̊. One tail rotor blade was damaged, and although moving, neither the main rotor nor the tail rotor displayed evidence of having been under power at the time of the impact. Scars in the soil showed where the blades had contacted the ground, but were limited in size.
NTSB investigator eric alleyne contacted inspectors, and a description of the accident was provided to him, along with relaying the information in the witness statements. Investigator allenyne released the scene and permission was given to the iic to allow the local authorities to dispose of the wreckage. On April 30th, 2018 inspector seymour was contacted by NTSB investigator timothy monville. At this time, it was conveyed to the rochester FSDO that the NTSB would pursue the investigation and that a tear down of the engine and any remaining parts of the helicopter would be done, in an effort to determine a reason for the accident. Arrangements have been made to secure the remnants of the helicopter for disassembly and inspection in mid may, with the aid of an outside expert provided by the NTSB.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 24TH, 2018, THIS OFFICE WAS NOTIFIED OF A SMALL HELICOPTER CRASH WITH INJURIES AT THE GAINES VALLEY AVIATION AIRPORT IN GAINES, NY. INSPECTORS ARRIVED ON SCENE AT ABOUT 15:35 EDT AND OBSERVED SEVERAL EMERGENCY VEHICLES ON NY ROUTE 279 GAINES-WATERPORT ROAD, AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE AIRPORT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AT THIS TIME, AND THE INJURED PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT, HAD BEEN TRANSPORTED FOR MEDICAL ATTENTION. INSPECTORS CONTACTED THE REGIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER UPON ARRIVAL ON SCENE.
THE CRASH SITE WAS LOCATED AT 43 ̊17?24?N, 78 ̊13?21.02?W, IN A PASTURE DIRECTLY WEST OF THE AIRPORT, ABOUT 80 YARDS FROM THE HIGHWAY. THE REMAINS OF THE WRECKAGE INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS POINTED IN A WESTERLY HEADING OF 280 ̊. LOCAL CONDITIONS WERE OVERCAST SKIES WITH A LIGHT WIND AND A TEMPERATURE IN THE MID 40?S F.
UPON APPROACHING THE SITE, INSPECTORS FOUND A CONICAL AIR CLEANER WITH THE MARKING ?K&N?, LOCATED ABOUT 20 FEET EAST OF THE WRECKAGE. THE BURN AREA PROGRESSED TO THE SOUTH OF THE WRECKAGE FOR ABOUT 15?. APPROXIMATELY FOUR FEET OF THE RED COLORED TAIL BOOM AND THE TAIL ROTOR ASSEMBLY REMAINED UNBURNED. THE TAIL ROTOR WAS SEPARATED FROM THE TAIL BOOM, BUT IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY. THE HELICOPTER CANOPY WAS IN FRAGMENTS WEST OF THE WRECKAGE, ALONG WITH THE REMAINS OF THE PILOT?S BURNED SHIRT. A GOPRO CAMERA ATTACHED TO A SET OF EAR MUFFS AND A PAIR OF LEATHER GLOVES WERE ALSO IN THE SAME GENERAL AREA WEST OF THE WRECKAGE. WITHIN THE BURN AREA WERE THE REMAINS OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND THE COCKPIT. THE HELICOPTER SKIDS WERE SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT, AND SPLAYED OUT IN EITHER DIRECTION FROM THE WRECKAGE. THE HELICOPTER WAS LAYING ON ITS LEFT SIDE. BOTH THE MAIN ROTOR AND TAIL ROTOR WERE IDENTIFIABLE, WITH ONE MAIN ROTOR BENT IN A DOWNWARD DIRECTION OF ABOUT 30 ̊. ONE TAIL ROTOR BLADE WAS DAMAGED, AND ALTHOUGH MOVING, NEITHER THE MAIN ROTOR NOR THE TAIL ROTOR DISPLAYED EVIDENCE OF HAVING BEEN UNDER POWER AT THE TIME OF THE IMPACT. SCARS IN THE SOIL SHOWED WHERE THE BLADES HAD CONTACTED THE GROUND, BUT WERE LIMITED IN SIZE.
NTSB INVESTIGATOR ERIC ALLEYNE CONTACTED INSPECTORS, AND A DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCIDENT WAS PROVIDED TO HIM, ALONG WITH RELAYING THE INFORMATION IN THE WITNESS STATEMENTS. INVESTIGATOR ALLENYNE RELEASED THE SCENE AND PERMISSION WAS GIVEN TO THE IIC TO ALLOW THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES TO DISPOSE OF THE WRECKAGE. ON APRIL 30TH, 2018 INSPECTOR SEYMOUR WAS CONTACTED BY NTSB INVESTIGATOR TIMOTHY MONVILLE. AT THIS TIME, IT WAS CONVEYED TO THE ROCHESTER FSDO THAT THE NTSB WOULD PURSUE THE INVESTIGATION AND THAT A TEAR DOWN OF THE ENGINE AND ANY REMAINING PARTS OF THE HELICOPTER WOULD BE DONE, IN AN EFFORT TO DETERMINE A REASON FOR THE ACCIDENT. ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO SECURE THE REMNANTS OF THE HELICOPTER FOR DISASSEMBLY AND INSPECTION IN MID MAY, WITH THE AID OF AN OUTSIDE EXPERT PROVIDED BY THE NTSB.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.