What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 15, 2021 at approximately 1700 mountain daylight time, a Bell UH1H helicopter, N398M had a hard landing, roll over and post crash fire on an access road paralell to highway 12, approximately 16 miles east of Townsend, MT. The aircraft was being privacy data omitted as a public aircraft conducting firefighting operations. The pilot was not injured, 4 passengers on board sustained minor injuries after a hard landing due to settling with power (vortex ring state). Winds were varying from sse to ssw at 20 knots gusting to 35 knots while aircraft heading during landing was 330 degrees. After the initial impact, the skid type landing gear collapsed and the aicraft rolled left causing the main rotor blades to separate. The passengers and crew were able to exit the aircraft through one cargo door and the windshield which was kicked out by a firefighter on the ground that witnessed the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed around the time of the accident. The aircraft was dispatched by the privacy data omitted desk and no FAA flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the clo (central land office) north of helena, MT.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 15, 2021 AT APPROXIMATELY 1700 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL UH1H HELICOPTER, N398M HAD A HARD LANDING, ROLL OVER AND POST CRASH FIRE ON AN ACCESS ROAD PARALELL TO HIGHWAY 12, APPROXIMATELY 16 MILES EAST OF TOWNSEND, MT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AS A PUBLIC AIRCRAFT CONDUCTING FIREFIGHTING OPERATIONS. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED, 4 PASSENGERS ON BOARD SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AFTER A HARD LANDING DUE TO SETTLING WITH POWER (VORTEX RING STATE). WINDS WERE VARYING FROM SSE TO SSW AT 20 KNOTS GUSTING TO 35 KNOTS WHILE AIRCRAFT HEADING DURING LANDING WAS 330 DEGREES. AFTER THE INITIAL IMPACT, THE SKID TYPE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AICRAFT ROLLED LEFT CAUSING THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES TO SEPARATE. THE PASSENGERS AND CREW WERE ABLE TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT THROUGH ONE CARGO DOOR AND THE WINDSHIELD WHICH WAS KICKED OUT BY A FIREFIGHTER ON THE GROUND THAT WITNESSED THE ACCIDENT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AROUND THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DISPATCHED BY THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DESK AND NO FAA FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE CLO (CENTRAL LAND OFFICE) NORTH OF HELENA, MT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N398M · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.