What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 9/30/18 at 1735 hours the pilot was operating the aircraft from the top of a parking garage performing sightseeing rides. The pilot and ground crew loaded 3 passengers on the aircraft and then began takeoff. The pilot reported that immediately after takeoff he noticed that the engine had an overspeed condition to approximately 110%. Upon identifying this condition the pilot initiated an emergency landing and safely landed the aircraft on the parking garage approximately 150 feet from the starting point. At this time the 3 passengers were removed. According to the pilot's initial statement, he then attempted to reposition the aircraft to its original position. The aircraft then began to spin, nose to the left. The owner of the company was standing nearby and reported having to duck to avoid being hit by the tail rotor. During the spin the aircraft struck a car parked nearby, damaging the tail rotor, vertical stabilizer, and tail boom. The aircraft came to rest after about a 360 degree spin, based on the marks left in the concrete by the skids.
METAR kfdk 302247Z 00000KT 10SM skc 22/16 A3030
As the FAA filed it
ON 9/30/18 AT 1735 HOURS THE PILOT WAS OPERATING THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE TOP OF A PARKING GARAGE PERFORMING SIGHTSEEING RIDES. THE PILOT AND GROUND CREW LOADED 3 PASSENGERS ON THE AIRCRAFT AND THEN BEGAN TAKEOFF. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKEOFF HE NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE HAD AN OVERSPEED CONDITION TO APPROXIMATELY 110%. UPON IDENTIFYING THIS CONDITION THE PILOT INITIATED AN EMERGENCY LANDING AND SAFELY LANDED THE AIRCRAFT ON THE PARKING GARAGE APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET FROM THE STARTING POINT. AT THIS TIME THE 3 PASSENGERS WERE REMOVED. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S INITIAL STATEMENT, HE THEN ATTEMPTED TO REPOSITION THE AIRCRAFT TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITION. THE AIRCRAFT THEN BEGAN TO SPIN, NOSE TO THE LEFT. THE OWNER OF THE COMPANY WAS STANDING NEARBY AND REPORTED HAVING TO DUCK TO AVOID BEING HIT BY THE TAIL ROTOR. DURING THE SPIN THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A CAR PARKED NEARBY, DAMAGING THE TAIL ROTOR, VERTICAL STABILIZER, AND TAIL BOOM. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST AFTER ABOUT A 360 DEGREE SPIN, BASED ON THE MARKS LEFT IN THE CONCRETE BY THE SKIDS.
METAR KFDK 302247Z 00000KT 10SM SKC 22/16 A3030
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.