What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
During takeoff from helicopter pad at Pearland Regional Airport, pilot lost control of helicopter resulting in crash in which the aircraft sustained substantial damage. Video footage indicates that upon the pilot applying power for liftoff the helicopter slides to the right. The right skid then either catches on the concrete or the pilot provides input to stop the right slide causing the helicopter to bank abruptly to the left and commence a spin to the right at about five feet above ground level. The nose of the helicopter pitches upward and the tail rotor appears to come extremely close to impacting the ground. The helicopter then pitches nose down while continuing to spin to the right with the tail rotor again appearing to come extremely close to impacting the ground but still appears to be intact and rotating. The helicopter continues in a right spin, banking to the left. The helicopter pitches nose-up causing the aft portion of the skids and tail rotor to impact the ground with the tail rotor departing the aircraft at this time. The helicopter continues to spin, upright, on its skids, three revolutions before the tail section impacts a parked Cessna aircraft stopping the helicopter from spinning. The helicopter remained upright, on its skids, and the pilot is observed securing engine power and safely exiting the aircraft.
The Cessna 150M the helicopter collided with was parked and tied down in front of a hangar on the perimeter of the tarmac and does not have a current registration.
As the FAA filed it
DURING TAKEOFF FROM HELICOPTER PAD AT PEARLAND REGIONAL AIRPORT, PILOT LOST CONTROL OF HELICOPTER RESULTING IN CRASH IN WHICH THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. VIDEO FOOTAGE INDICATES THAT UPON THE PILOT APPLYING POWER FOR LIFTOFF THE HELICOPTER SLIDES TO THE RIGHT. THE RIGHT SKID THEN EITHER CATCHES ON THE CONCRETE OR THE PILOT PROVIDES INPUT TO STOP THE RIGHT SLIDE CAUSING THE HELICOPTER TO BANK ABRUPTLY TO THE LEFT AND COMMENCE A SPIN TO THE RIGHT AT ABOUT FIVE FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. THE NOSE OF THE HELICOPTER PITCHES UPWARD AND THE TAIL ROTOR APPEARS TO COME EXTREMELY CLOSE TO IMPACTING THE GROUND. THE HELICOPTER THEN PITCHES NOSE DOWN WHILE CONTINUING TO SPIN TO THE RIGHT WITH THE TAIL ROTOR AGAIN APPEARING TO COME EXTREMELY CLOSE TO IMPACTING THE GROUND BUT STILL APPEARS TO BE INTACT AND ROTATING. THE HELICOPTER CONTINUES IN A RIGHT SPIN, BANKING TO THE LEFT. THE HELICOPTER PITCHES NOSE-UP CAUSING THE AFT PORTION OF THE SKIDS AND TAIL ROTOR TO IMPACT THE GROUND WITH THE TAIL ROTOR DEPARTING THE AIRCRAFT AT THIS TIME. THE HELICOPTER CONTINUES TO SPIN, UPRIGHT, ON ITS SKIDS, THREE REVOLUTIONS BEFORE THE TAIL SECTION IMPACTS A PARKED CESSNA AIRCRAFT STOPPING THE HELICOPTER FROM SPINNING. THE HELICOPTER REMAINED UPRIGHT, ON ITS SKIDS, AND THE PILOT IS OBSERVED SECURING ENGINE POWER AND SAFELY EXITING THE AIRCRAFT.
THE CESSNA 150M THE HELICOPTER COLLIDED WITH WAS PARKED AND TIED DOWN IN FRONT OF A HANGAR ON THE PERIMETER OF THE TARMAC AND DOES NOT HAVE A CURRENT REGISTRATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.