What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot stated: on the afternoon of October 6th, 2021 I, privacy data omittedwas operating a Bell 206B iii helicopter, traveling from baton rouge metro airport to Louisiana Regional Airport. Approximately 10 miles from the airport, I listened to Louisiana Regional AWOS and determined that runway 35 was the appropriate runway for the wind conditions. I then made multiple radio announcements of my position and altitude as I neared Louisiana Regional Airport. As I approached Louisiana Regional Airport I entered a left downwind for runway 35. While flying the downwind leg, my airspeed was approximately 80 knots and my altitude was approximately 550 feet AGL. I observed the wind sock which indicated the winds were nearly in line with the runway. As I was abeam the runway 35 numbers I began my pre landing checks. I assured all circuit breakers were in, no warning lights or caution lights were illuminated and were in the green operational limits, I reduced power and began to slow the aircraft down to 60 knots. I negotiated a left turn and entered the base leg and maintained approximately 60 knots at 400 feet AGL and turned final for runway 35. As I flew toward the runway I maintained 400 feet and reduced power and began a decent to the runway, with the runway 35 numbers visible through the windscreen. As I approached the runway, I scanned my airspeed, my altitude and trim. I added a small amount of power to slow my decent to keep the helicopter on the desired approach angle. At this point in the flight my airspeed was approximately 40 knots, my altitude was between 150 and 200 feet. I began experiencing a right yaw in the helicopter. I added left pedal and the helicopter continued to turn right. I looked down and ensured the helicopter was in trim, which in fact it was still in trim, all the while having to continue to add left pedal. It was then that the helicopter aggressively yawed to the right. I applied forward cyclic and the aircraft rolled to the left while the helicopter continued to rotate very aggressively to the right. I attempted to regain control of the helicopter with cyclic control, but the helicopter was rotating so fast I was unable to regain control. I then decreased the throttle to idle. When the throttle was closed I heard the engine began to slow. I then felt the aircraft begin to settle and I began to add collective, in anticipation of impact with the ground. When the aircraft impacted the ground, I turned the fuel, battery and generator switches off, unbuckled my safety harness and exited the aircraft.
The aircraft landed to the left of runway 35 about 50 feet off the runway facing a southernly direction.
An investigation by FAA and manufacture representatives revealed no mechanical anomalies that would cause the loss of control.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT STATED: ON THE AFTERNOON OF OCTOBER 6TH, 2021 I, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^WAS OPERATING A BELL 206B III HELICOPTER, TRAVELING FROM BATON ROUGE METRO AIRPORT TO LOUISIANA REGIONAL AIRPORT. APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT, I LISTENED TO LOUISIANA REGIONAL AWOS AND DETERMINED THAT RUNWAY 35 WAS THE APPROPRIATE RUNWAY FOR THE WIND CONDITIONS. I THEN MADE MULTIPLE RADIO ANNOUNCEMENTS OF MY POSITION AND ALTITUDE AS I NEARED LOUISIANA REGIONAL AIRPORT. AS I APPROACHED LOUISIANA REGIONAL AIRPORT I ENTERED A LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 35. WHILE FLYING THE DOWNWIND LEG, MY AIRSPEED WAS APPROXIMATELY 80 KNOTS AND MY ALTITUDE WAS APPROXIMATELY 550 FEET AGL. I OBSERVED THE WIND SOCK WHICH INDICATED THE WINDS WERE NEARLY IN LINE WITH THE RUNWAY. AS I WAS ABEAM THE RUNWAY 35 NUMBERS I BEGAN MY PRE LANDING CHECKS. I ASSURED ALL CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE IN, NO WARNING LIGHTS OR CAUTION LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED AND WERE IN THE GREEN OPERATIONAL LIMITS, I REDUCED POWER AND BEGAN TO SLOW THE AIRCRAFT DOWN TO 60 KNOTS. I NEGOTIATED A LEFT TURN AND ENTERED THE BASE LEG AND MAINTAINED APPROXIMATELY 60 KNOTS AT 400 FEET AGL AND TURNED FINAL FOR RUNWAY 35. AS I FLEW TOWARD THE RUNWAY I MAINTAINED 400 FEET AND REDUCED POWER AND BEGAN A DECENT TO THE RUNWAY, WITH THE RUNWAY 35 NUMBERS VISIBLE THROUGH THE WINDSCREEN. AS I APPROACHED THE RUNWAY, I SCANNED MY AIRSPEED, MY ALTITUDE AND TRIM. I ADDED A SMALL AMOUNT OF POWER TO SLOW MY DECENT TO KEEP THE HELICOPTER ON THE DESIRED APPROACH ANGLE. AT THIS POINT IN THE FLIGHT MY AIRSPEED WAS APPROXIMATELY 40 KNOTS, MY ALTITUDE WAS BETWEEN 150 AND 200 FEET. I BEGAN EXPERIENCING A RIGHT YAW IN THE HELICOPTER. I ADDED LEFT PEDAL AND THE HELICOPTER CONTINUED TO TURN RIGHT. I LOOKED DOWN AND ENSURED THE HELICOPTER WAS IN TRIM, WHICH IN FACT IT WAS STILL IN TRIM, ALL THE WHILE HAVING TO CONTINUE TO ADD LEFT PEDAL. IT WAS THEN THAT THE HELICOPTER AGGRESSIVELY YAWED TO THE RIGHT. I APPLIED FORWARD CYCLIC AND THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED TO THE LEFT WHILE THE HELICOPTER CONTINUED TO ROTATE VERY AGGRESSIVELY TO THE RIGHT. I ATTEMPTED TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER WITH CYCLIC CONTROL, BUT THE HELICOPTER WAS ROTATING SO FAST I WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL. I THEN DECREASED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE. WHEN THE THROTTLE WAS CLOSED I HEARD THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SLOW. I THEN FELT THE AIRCRAFT BEGIN TO SETTLE AND I BEGAN TO ADD COLLECTIVE, IN ANTICIPATION OF IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND, I TURNED THE FUEL, BATTERY AND GENERATOR SWITCHES OFF, UNBUCKLED MY SAFETY HARNESS AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT.
THE AIRCRAFT LANDED TO THE LEFT OF RUNWAY 35 ABOUT 50 FEET OFF THE RUNWAY FACING A SOUTHERNLY DIRECTION.
AN INVESTIGATION BY FAA AND MANUFACTURE REPRESENTATIVES REVEALED NO MECHANICAL ANOMALIES THAT WOULD CAUSE THE LOSS OF CONTROL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.