What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
1811: The helicopter departs on its fourth mission of the day from rhp (western carolina regional airport) to pick up a patient at 5NC4 (erlanger western carolina, murphy) and transfer them to NC95 (mission hospital ashville). Crew consisted of a pilot and 2 medical staff.
1814: Aircraft arrives at 5NC4. While the patient is being packaged for the flight, the pilot receives a phone call from privacy data omitted regional area manager (ram). The pilot was asked to validate maintenance/inspection due times to ensure they would not overfly any items.
1847: With the patient on board, the helicopter departs 5NC4 and initially departs to the north. The route of the flight places the aircraft over mountainous terrain with several 5000-5500 peaks along the way. The aircraft climbs to approximately 5300FT and levels off. Shortly after leveling off, the pilot observes concerning cloud conditions/ceilings. He advises the crew he will be descending to remain out of the clouds. Pilot stated he went heads down in the cockpit to review/correct some paperwork.
1855: Pilots stated just prior to impact he was back to heads up and realized the aircraft was rapidly approaching a tree covered peak and impact was imminent. The helicopter's lower fuselage impacts the trees. Pilot takes necessary actions to maintain control of the aircraft. The medical crew is directed to make a distress call to company flight operations. The pilot is looking for a suitable landing area and sees some open fields.
1858: During the landing sequence the aircraft starts to spin. The pilot tries to maintain control of the aircraft and attempts to enter an autorotation. At approximately 100 feet AGL, the aircraft strikes a large tree on the western side of middle burningtown rd., and falls vertically below. Pilot checks on the condition of the crew and passenger and secures the aircraft. All personnel egress and wait for emergency services to arrive.
T-EA68-FY23-0948
As the FAA filed it
1811: THE HELICOPTER DEPARTS ON ITS FOURTH MISSION OF THE DAY FROM RHP (WESTERN CAROLINA REGIONAL AIRPORT) TO PICK UP A PATIENT AT 5NC4 (ERLANGER WESTERN CAROLINA, MURPHY) AND TRANSFER THEM TO NC95 (MISSION HOSPITAL ASHVILLE). CREW CONSISTED OF A PILOT AND 2 MEDICAL STAFF.
1814: AIRCRAFT ARRIVES AT 5NC4. WHILE THE PATIENT IS BEING PACKAGED FOR THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT RECEIVES A PHONE CALL FROM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REGIONAL AREA MANAGER (RAM). THE PILOT WAS ASKED TO VALIDATE MAINTENANCE/INSPECTION DUE TIMES TO ENSURE THEY WOULD NOT OVERFLY ANY ITEMS.
1847: WITH THE PATIENT ON BOARD, THE HELICOPTER DEPARTS 5NC4 AND INITIALLY DEPARTS TO THE NORTH. THE ROUTE OF THE FLIGHT PLACES THE AIRCRAFT OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN WITH SEVERAL 5000-5500 PEAKS ALONG THE WAY. THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBS TO APPROXIMATELY 5300FT AND LEVELS OFF. SHORTLY AFTER LEVELING OFF, THE PILOT OBSERVES CONCERNING CLOUD CONDITIONS/CEILINGS. HE ADVISES THE CREW HE WILL BE DESCENDING TO REMAIN OUT OF THE CLOUDS. PILOT STATED HE WENT HEADS DOWN IN THE COCKPIT TO REVIEW/CORRECT SOME PAPERWORK.
1855: PILOTS STATED JUST PRIOR TO IMPACT HE WAS BACK TO HEADS UP AND REALIZED THE AIRCRAFT WAS RAPIDLY APPROACHING A TREE COVERED PEAK AND IMPACT WAS IMMINENT. THE HELICOPTER'S LOWER FUSELAGE IMPACTS THE TREES. PILOT TAKES NECESSARY ACTIONS TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE MEDICAL CREW IS DIRECTED TO MAKE A DISTRESS CALL TO COMPANY FLIGHT OPERATIONS. THE PILOT IS LOOKING FOR A SUITABLE LANDING AREA AND SEES SOME OPEN FIELDS.
1858: DURING THE LANDING SEQUENCE THE AIRCRAFT STARTS TO SPIN. THE PILOT TRIES TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND ATTEMPTS TO ENTER AN AUTOROTATION. AT APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET AGL, THE AIRCRAFT STRIKES A LARGE TREE ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF MIDDLE BURNINGTOWN RD., AND FALLS VERTICALLY BELOW. PILOT CHECKS ON THE CONDITION OF THE CREW AND PASSENGER AND SECURES THE AIRCRAFT. ALL PERSONNEL EGRESS AND WAIT FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES TO ARRIVE.
T-EA68-FY23-0948
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.