What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 09/23/2020 at approximately 1300 hours, N509CG, an MD helicopters 369HS helicopter, departed the lake havasu airport for a familiarization flight in the local area. The commercial rated pilot was trying to get comfortable with the aircraft prior to starting formal training for a flight instructor certificate.
The pilot flew to the Chemehuevi Valley Airport, near Needles, California, to practice pattern work and approaches.
As the pilot approached a desert area at the northwest side of the approach end of runway 16, the pilot applied power as he got close to the ground and was unable to stop the aircraft from spinning to the right.
The pilot applied full left pedal and the aircraft continued to spin.
The pilot reduced the throttle to ground idle and the aircraft descended from approximately three feet and rolled onto the left side as it made contact with the ground.
The aircraft sustained substantial damage upon making contact with the ground.
The pilot and one lone passenger self extricated with minor scrapes and contusions.
The pilot stated that all aircraft systems and components were operational at the time of the crash and all flight controls were fully functional.
Due to the remote location of the crash site, there was a delay in FAA inspectors traveling to the crash site.
The scene was initially investigated and photographed by deputies from the san bernadino county sheriff?s office.
Upon FAA arrival, the aircraft had been removed to a storage location in lake havasu, Arizona.
FAA on scene investigation revealed that the intended landing site was slightly sloped and well within normal operating limits of the helicopter.
An analysis of the on scene investigation photographs and the subsequent examination of the helicopter determined that the damage was consistent with the pilots statement and it appeared that the aircraft engine was producing some level of power as the main rotor blades made contact with the ground.
Control continuity was established and all major components of the helicopter appeared to be located at the crash site.
Aircraft weight and loading did not apppear to be a factor in the crash.
As the FAA filed it
ON 09/23/2020 AT APPROXIMATELY 1300 HOURS, N509CG, AN MD HELICOPTERS 369HS HELICOPTER, DEPARTED THE LAKE HAVASU AIRPORT FOR A FAMILIARIZATION FLIGHT IN THE LOCAL AREA. THE COMMERCIAL RATED PILOT WAS TRYING TO GET COMFORTABLE WITH THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO STARTING FORMAL TRAINING FOR A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATE.
THE PILOT FLEW TO THE CHEMEHUEVI VALLEY AIRPORT, NEAR NEEDLES, CALIFORNIA, TO PRACTICE PATTERN WORK AND APPROACHES.
AS THE PILOT APPROACHED A DESERT AREA AT THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 16, THE PILOT APPLIED POWER AS HE GOT CLOSE TO THE GROUND AND WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE AIRCRAFT FROM SPINNING TO THE RIGHT.
THE PILOT APPLIED FULL LEFT PEDAL AND THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO SPIN.
THE PILOT REDUCED THE THROTTLE TO GROUND IDLE AND THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED FROM APPROXIMATELY THREE FEET AND ROLLED ONTO THE LEFT SIDE AS IT MADE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND.
THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE UPON MAKING CONTACT WITH THE GROUND.
THE PILOT AND ONE LONE PASSENGER SELF EXTRICATED WITH MINOR SCRAPES AND CONTUSIONS.
THE PILOT STATED THAT ALL AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS AND COMPONENTS WERE OPERATIONAL AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH AND ALL FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE FULLY FUNCTIONAL.
DUE TO THE REMOTE LOCATION OF THE CRASH SITE, THERE WAS A DELAY IN FAA INSPECTORS TRAVELING TO THE CRASH SITE.
THE SCENE WAS INITIALLY INVESTIGATED AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY DEPUTIES FROM THE SAN BERNADINO COUNTY SHERIFF?S OFFICE.
UPON FAA ARRIVAL, THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN REMOVED TO A STORAGE LOCATION IN LAKE HAVASU, ARIZONA.
FAA ON SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE INTENDED LANDING SITE WAS SLIGHTLY SLOPED AND WELL WITHIN NORMAL OPERATING LIMITS OF THE HELICOPTER.
AN ANALYSIS OF THE ON SCENE INVESTIGATION PHOTOGRAPHS AND THE SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER DETERMINED THAT THE DAMAGE WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE PILOTS STATEMENT AND IT APPEARED THAT THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE WAS PRODUCING SOME LEVEL OF POWER AS THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES MADE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND.
CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED AND ALL MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE HELICOPTER APPEARED TO BE LOCATED AT THE CRASH SITE.
AIRCRAFT WEIGHT AND LOADING DID NOT APPPEAR TO BE A FACTOR IN THE CRASH.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.