What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
According to the crewmember, the aircraft was in a hover for a few seconds while trying to decide which power line to observe. The aircraft started to sway left and right and then began rotating nose left. According to an eyewitness, the aircraft entered into a counter clockwise spin and rotated three times, at which point the nose of the aircraft pitched down and the aircraft abruptly fell to the ground. There was a post-crash fire that destroyed the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
ACCORDING TO THE CREWMEMBER, THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN A HOVER FOR A FEW SECONDS WHILE TRYING TO DECIDE WHICH POWER LINE TO OBSERVE. THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO SWAY LEFT AND RIGHT AND THEN BEGAN ROTATING NOSE LEFT. ACCORDING TO AN EYEWITNESS, THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED INTO A COUNTER CLOCKWISE SPIN AND ROTATED THREE TIMES, AT WHICH POINT THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED DOWN AND THE AIRCRAFT ABRUPTLY FELL TO THE GROUND. THERE WAS A POST-CRASH FIRE THAT DESTROYED THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.