What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot reported he flew southwest at 800 feet MSL to wordens' pond to perform a flight over the pond. He began executing a series of flight parameters, beginning with a 10 foot hover, then a climb vertical to 50 feet, then descend back down to a 10 foot hover. This was repeated successfully 2 times. The next flight regime was to start at a 10 foot hover and perform a normal takeoff profile at 10 feet and accelerate to 40 knots, then establish a slight climb to 50 feet. This was performed successfully one time. Upon reaching 50 feet the pilot stated he started to decelerate and began a descent back down to a 10 foot hover. The helicopters front skids caught the water and entered the pond. The pilot and passenger exited the helicopter to the top of the skid above the water line and called for assistance. The pilot reported skies clear and winds calm with no ripples on water surface which produced a mirroring effect hindering depth perception.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT REPORTED HE FLEW SOUTHWEST AT 800 FEET MSL TO WORDENS' POND TO PERFORM A FLIGHT OVER THE POND. HE BEGAN EXECUTING A SERIES OF FLIGHT PARAMETERS, BEGINNING WITH A 10 FOOT HOVER, THEN A CLIMB VERTICAL TO 50 FEET, THEN DESCEND BACK DOWN TO A 10 FOOT HOVER. THIS WAS REPEATED SUCCESSFULLY 2 TIMES. THE NEXT FLIGHT REGIME WAS TO START AT A 10 FOOT HOVER AND PERFORM A NORMAL TAKEOFF PROFILE AT 10 FEET AND ACCELERATE TO 40 KNOTS, THEN ESTABLISH A SLIGHT CLIMB TO 50 FEET. THIS WAS PERFORMED SUCCESSFULLY ONE TIME. UPON REACHING 50 FEET THE PILOT STATED HE STARTED TO DECELERATE AND BEGAN A DESCENT BACK DOWN TO A 10 FOOT HOVER. THE HELICOPTERS FRONT SKIDS CAUGHT THE WATER AND ENTERED THE POND. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER EXITED THE HELICOPTER TO THE TOP OF THE SKID ABOVE THE WATER LINE AND CALLED FOR ASSISTANCE. THE PILOT REPORTED SKIES CLEAR AND WINDS CALM WITH NO RIPPLES ON WATER SURFACE WHICH PRODUCED A MIRRORING EFFECT HINDERING DEPTH PERCEPTION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.