What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft left arrington airport with four pax on board to drop at copper river, second flight with pax to this lake that day, time as coming in for landing at the edge of copper lake was 8:30PM, now getting dark, pilot identifies landing area, turns on landing light, as he is descending to lz, someone at lz turns on a light that is turned towards pilot, pilot says all turns black around him, pilot indicates that he turned a little left, then turned a little right, at that moment, starts to see water coming into floor of helicopter. Next moment, aircraft is in water, turns on side, pilot gets out, helps get all 4 paxs out of aircraft, person on shore gets blowup mattress and swims out to paxs and pilot, all get to shore, no injuries. Aircraft sinks into lake, reported to be 80 feet down.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT LEFT ARRINGTON AIRPORT WITH FOUR PAX ON BOARD TO DROP AT COPPER RIVER, SECOND FLIGHT WITH PAX TO THIS LAKE THAT DAY, TIME AS COMING IN FOR LANDING AT THE EDGE OF COPPER LAKE WAS 8:30PM, NOW GETTING DARK, PILOT IDENTIFIES LANDING AREA, TURNS ON LANDING LIGHT, AS HE IS DESCENDING TO LZ, SOMEONE AT LZ TURNS ON A LIGHT THAT IS TURNED TOWARDS PILOT, PILOT SAYS ALL TURNS BLACK AROUND HIM, PILOT INDICATES THAT HE TURNED A LITTLE LEFT, THEN TURNED A LITTLE RIGHT, AT THAT MOMENT, STARTS TO SEE WATER COMING INTO FLOOR OF HELICOPTER. NEXT MOMENT, AIRCRAFT IS IN WATER, TURNS ON SIDE, PILOT GETS OUT, HELPS GET ALL 4 PAXS OUT OF AIRCRAFT, PERSON ON SHORE GETS BLOWUP MATTRESS AND SWIMS OUT TO PAXS AND PILOT, ALL GET TO SHORE, NO INJURIES. AIRCRAFT SINKS INTO LAKE, REPORTED TO BE 80 FEET DOWN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.