What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft crash location was approximately 700 feet to the south of the departure end of runway 16. Aircraft struck the gnd in a nose down almost vertical angle. Aircraft then rotated and landed about 30 feet away. As aircraft rotated both main rotor blades struck the gnd one at 90 degrees form initial impact point leaving the aircraft and landing just beyond the wreckage ( same heading of approximately 175 degrees) the other blade stuck in the gnd about 10 feet further down the debris field. Both blade impact point was to the east of the direction of flight. The aircraft was consumed by fire with only the steel structure for the fuselage and landing gear remaining. Aircraft engine was damaged by fire but was still attached to the aircraft. Pusher propeller was attached to the engine all (3) blades were broken off about 18" from hub center, 2 blade tips were found under the wreckage. About 18" of the 3rd blade was found in the field about 150 before the initial impact point with scraping marks and tip damage from impact with the ground. Blade section attached to engine and those found under the wreckage were extremely damaged from fire. The
Airspeed indicator was frozen at about 110 mph and VSI at 900 fpm decent. Pilot was pulled from the wreckage by witnesses. Witness stated the aircraft was in a nose down vertical decent. One other witness said the aircraft was spinning and he had seen it go around 3 times and aircraft was pointed straight down. Note pilot times on this report are estimates as pilot log book was not located.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT CRASH LOCATION WAS APPROXIMATELY 700 FEET TO THE SOUTH OF THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 16. AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GND IN A NOSE DOWN ALMOST VERTICAL ANGLE. AIRCRAFT THEN ROTATED AND LANDED ABOUT 30 FEET AWAY. AS AIRCRAFT ROTATED BOTH MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE GND ONE AT 90 DEGREES FORM INITIAL IMPACT POINT LEAVING THE AIRCRAFT AND LANDING JUST BEYOND THE WRECKAGE ( SAME HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 175 DEGREES) THE OTHER BLADE STUCK IN THE GND ABOUT 10 FEET FURTHER DOWN THE DEBRIS FIELD. BOTH BLADE IMPACT POINT WAS TO THE EAST OF THE DIRECTION OF FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONSUMED BY FIRE WITH ONLY THE STEEL STRUCTURE FOR THE FUSELAGE AND LANDING GEAR REMAINING. AIRCRAFT ENGINE WAS DAMAGED BY FIRE BUT WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT. PUSHER PROPELLER WAS ATTACHED TO THE ENGINE ALL (3) BLADES WERE BROKEN OFF ABOUT 18" FROM HUB CENTER, 2 BLADE TIPS WERE FOUND UNDER THE WRECKAGE. ABOUT 18" OF THE 3RD BLADE WAS FOUND IN THE FIELD ABOUT 150 BEFORE THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT WITH SCRAPING MARKS AND TIP DAMAGE FROM IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. BLADE SECTION ATTACHED TO ENGINE AND THOSE FOUND UNDER THE WRECKAGE WERE EXTREMELY DAMAGED FROM FIRE. THE
AIRSPEED INDICATOR WAS FROZEN AT ABOUT 110 MPH AND VSI AT 900 FPM DECENT. PILOT WAS PULLED FROM THE WRECKAGE BY WITNESSES. WITNESS STATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN A NOSE DOWN VERTICAL DECENT. ONE OTHER WITNESS SAID THE AIRCRAFT WAS SPINNING AND HE HAD SEEN IT GO AROUND 3 TIMES AND AIRCRAFT WAS POINTED STRAIGHT DOWN. NOTE PILOT TIMES ON THIS REPORT ARE ESTIMATES AS PILOT LOG BOOK WAS NOT LOCATED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.