What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 3, 2018 at approximately 1515 local time N130TG, an Airbus EC-130-T2 helicopter, departed controlled flight at approximately 200-300 feet AGL while circling a proposed landing area at an off airport location. The helicopter was witnessed on arrival, circling south/southwest from the landing site, and turning from south to east, abruptly entering a nose low/tail high attitude while banking to the left, and passing through a south/southeasterly heading. Shortly after entering this attitude the helicopter began to spiral to the left (tail to the right) counter clockwise, first changing heading 180 degrees then continuing to spiral while descending toward the impact point. According to witnesses the helicopter completed approximately 2 ½ revolutions from the initial heading prior to impacting the side of a sandy slope in a level attitude and coming to rest heading approximately 325 degrees at a lateral incline of approximately 13 degrees. During impact the main rotors contacted the terrain on the uphill side of the helicopter, as well as the vertical fin, causing substantial damage to the main rotors. The main rotor transmission support tubes fractured allowing the main rotor transmission to separate from the drive shaft and lean to the left side of the helicopter causing damage to the engine nacelle and upper fuselage. The helicopter remained upright. There was no post impact fire, though the helicopter sustained substantial damage to the airframe and engine/transmission as well as the main rotor blades and upper fuselage aft of the passenger compartment. The pilot and family dog were not injured, however the sole passenger seated in the right front seat sustained serious injuries.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 3, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 1515 LOCAL TIME N130TG, AN AIRBUS EC-130-T2 HELICOPTER, DEPARTED CONTROLLED FLIGHT AT APPROXIMATELY 200-300 FEET AGL WHILE CIRCLING A PROPOSED LANDING AREA AT AN OFF AIRPORT LOCATION. THE HELICOPTER WAS WITNESSED ON ARRIVAL, CIRCLING SOUTH/SOUTHWEST FROM THE LANDING SITE, AND TURNING FROM SOUTH TO EAST, ABRUPTLY ENTERING A NOSE LOW/TAIL HIGH ATTITUDE WHILE BANKING TO THE LEFT, AND PASSING THROUGH A SOUTH/SOUTHEASTERLY HEADING. SHORTLY AFTER ENTERING THIS ATTITUDE THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO SPIRAL TO THE LEFT (TAIL TO THE RIGHT) COUNTER CLOCKWISE, FIRST CHANGING HEADING 180 DEGREES THEN CONTINUING TO SPIRAL WHILE DESCENDING TOWARD THE IMPACT POINT. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES THE HELICOPTER COMPLETED APPROXIMATELY 2 ½ REVOLUTIONS FROM THE INITIAL HEADING PRIOR TO IMPACTING THE SIDE OF A SANDY SLOPE IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE AND COMING TO REST HEADING APPROXIMATELY 325 DEGREES AT A LATERAL INCLINE OF APPROXIMATELY 13 DEGREES. DURING IMPACT THE MAIN ROTORS CONTACTED THE TERRAIN ON THE UPHILL SIDE OF THE HELICOPTER, AS WELL AS THE VERTICAL FIN, CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE MAIN ROTORS. THE MAIN ROTOR TRANSMISSION SUPPORT TUBES FRACTURED ALLOWING THE MAIN ROTOR TRANSMISSION TO SEPARATE FROM THE DRIVE SHAFT AND LEAN TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HELICOPTER CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE NACELLE AND UPPER FUSELAGE. THE HELICOPTER REMAINED UPRIGHT. THERE WAS NO POST IMPACT FIRE, THOUGH THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME AND ENGINE/TRANSMISSION AS WELL AS THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES AND UPPER FUSELAGE AFT OF THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THE PILOT AND FAMILY DOG WERE NOT INJURED, HOWEVER THE SOLE PASSENGER SEATED IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.