What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
At about 0915 am, Hughes aircraft N369GK carrying a pilot, a left seat spotter and two passengers took off from a landing zone (lz) in sunset, Texas in pursuit of hog depredation. The aircraft struck the top of the first row of trees. Next the fuselage and main rotor blade impacted a much larger tree which caused the sudden stoppage and separation of the tail boom from the fuselage, leaving the tail boom at the point of impact up in the tree. The main structure of the fuselage with the crew and passengers fell from the tree crashing down on the nose of the aircraft. The fuselage damage indicated that the majority of the right side damage was caused by the impact with the ground. All occupants except the hunting guide sitting in the left seat were seriously injured.
As the FAA filed it
AT ABOUT 0915 AM, HUGHES AIRCRAFT N369GK CARRYING A PILOT, A LEFT SEAT SPOTTER AND TWO PASSENGERS TOOK OFF FROM A LANDING ZONE (LZ) IN SUNSET, TEXAS IN PURSUIT OF HOG DEPREDATION. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE TOP OF THE FIRST ROW OF TREES. NEXT THE FUSELAGE AND MAIN ROTOR BLADE IMPACTED A MUCH LARGER TREE WHICH CAUSED THE SUDDEN STOPPAGE AND SEPARATION OF THE TAIL BOOM FROM THE FUSELAGE, LEAVING THE TAIL BOOM AT THE POINT OF IMPACT UP IN THE TREE. THE MAIN STRUCTURE OF THE FUSELAGE WITH THE CREW AND PASSENGERS FELL FROM THE TREE CRASHING DOWN ON THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE FUSELAGE DAMAGE INDICATED THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE RIGHT SIDE DAMAGE WAS CAUSED BY THE IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. ALL OCCUPANTS EXCEPT THE HUNTING GUIDE SITTING IN THE LEFT SEAT WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.