What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot departed his ranch in preston id, headed north. Following a path paralleling highway 28 northwest of the intersection of highway 22 & 28. Pilot stated he was flying along the east side of the valley and reached an altitude of 8K ft. and decided the terrain was climbing rapidly and decided to exit the valley. He turned to a westerly heading in the direction of diamond peak. Upon reaching the west side of the valley he decided to land on a ridge top for a rest break. He selected an area and did a circling approach to the point selected, to check for hazards. Google earth shows the elevation of the crash site below the ridge at 7560 ft.
Pilot stated he entered a hover at approx. 20? AGL to stabilize and do a power check. Pilot verified expected throttle response and rotor RPM. At that point he began decent to the surface. During the transition the tail of the helicopter was pointed upwind toward the mountain peaks. As the aircraft neared the ground a gust of wind blew the aircraft over the edge of the ridgeline losing ground effect in his decent approach. A low rotor RPM warning light illuminated & associated warning horn began to sound. At this point the aircraft, while airborne was traveling down the slope of the ridge picking up speed.
However at that moment the engine / rotor speed was unable to generate enough lift to climb or maintain altitude.
At this point pilot made decision to make control inputs to roll aircraft onto its right side causing rotor blades to impact ground and stop gaining down slope speed, in an attempt to prevent a high energy impact that would have been FAR more severe.
After initial impact aircraft rolled approximately twice before coming to rest with the nose pointing down slope at a point approximately 100 yards from the crest of the ridge line.
The pilot and both passengers were able to extract themselves from the aircraft with 2 minor and 1 substantial injurys and walk away. There was no post-crash fire.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT DEPARTED HIS RANCH IN PRESTON ID, HEADED NORTH. FOLLOWING A PATH PARALLELING HIGHWAY 28 NORTHWEST OF THE INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAY 22 & 28. PILOT STATED HE WAS FLYING ALONG THE EAST SIDE OF THE VALLEY AND REACHED AN ALTITUDE OF 8K FT. AND DECIDED THE TERRAIN WAS CLIMBING RAPIDLY AND DECIDED TO EXIT THE VALLEY. HE TURNED TO A WESTERLY HEADING IN THE DIRECTION OF DIAMOND PEAK. UPON REACHING THE WEST SIDE OF THE VALLEY HE DECIDED TO LAND ON A RIDGE TOP FOR A REST BREAK. HE SELECTED AN AREA AND DID A CIRCLING APPROACH TO THE POINT SELECTED, TO CHECK FOR HAZARDS. GOOGLE EARTH SHOWS THE ELEVATION OF THE CRASH SITE BELOW THE RIDGE AT 7560 FT.
PILOT STATED HE ENTERED A HOVER AT APPROX. 20? AGL TO STABILIZE AND DO A POWER CHECK. PILOT VERIFIED EXPECTED THROTTLE RESPONSE AND ROTOR RPM. AT THAT POINT HE BEGAN DECENT TO THE SURFACE. DURING THE TRANSITION THE TAIL OF THE HELICOPTER WAS POINTED UPWIND TOWARD THE MOUNTAIN PEAKS. AS THE AIRCRAFT NEARED THE GROUND A GUST OF WIND BLEW THE AIRCRAFT OVER THE EDGE OF THE RIDGELINE LOSING GROUND EFFECT IN HIS DECENT APPROACH. A LOW ROTOR RPM WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED & ASSOCIATED WARNING HORN BEGAN TO SOUND. AT THIS POINT THE AIRCRAFT, WHILE AIRBORNE WAS TRAVELING DOWN THE SLOPE OF THE RIDGE PICKING UP SPEED.
HOWEVER AT THAT MOMENT THE ENGINE / ROTOR SPEED WAS UNABLE TO GENERATE ENOUGH LIFT TO CLIMB OR MAINTAIN ALTITUDE.
AT THIS POINT PILOT MADE DECISION TO MAKE CONTROL INPUTS TO ROLL AIRCRAFT ONTO ITS RIGHT SIDE CAUSING ROTOR BLADES TO IMPACT GROUND AND STOP GAINING DOWN SLOPE SPEED, IN AN ATTEMPT TO PREVENT A HIGH ENERGY IMPACT THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN FAR MORE SEVERE.
AFTER INITIAL IMPACT AIRCRAFT ROLLED APPROXIMATELY TWICE BEFORE COMING TO REST WITH THE NOSE POINTING DOWN SLOPE AT A POINT APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS FROM THE CREST OF THE RIDGE LINE.
THE PILOT AND BOTH PASSENGERS WERE ABLE TO EXTRACT THEMSELVES FROM THE AIRCRAFT WITH 2 MINOR AND 1 SUBSTANTIAL INJURYS AND WALK AWAY. THERE WAS NO POST-CRASH FIRE.
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 N44DQ · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.