What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
About 1438, the pilot completed a sightseeing flight and dropped the two passengers off at their home. According to one of the passengers, the pilot ended the flight early due to fog which restricted inflight visibility. The passenger provided a photograph that was captured during the sightseeing flight that showed the reported fog and reduced visibilities.
At 1439, the pilot sent a text message to a friend stating that he was en route to a restaurant located about 12 miles east from where he had dropped off the passengers. At 1446, the pilot again texted his friend and wrote that he encountered fog and made a precautionary landing at a convenience store about 3.3 miles north of the passenger drop off location.
According to a witness near the convenience store, about 1455, the helicopter took off and then “disappeared in the fog”. The witness estimated that he heard a sound consistent with the helicopter impacting the ground less than a minute after it disappeared into the fog. According to video footage provided by a witness, the helicopter made a southeasterly departure from the convenience store.
The helicopter impacted a residential lot and a postimpact fire ensued. The accident site was about 1/4 mile northeast of the convenience store. The helicopter came to rest on its right side on a north heading.
All major helicopter components were identified at the accident site. Most of the cabin structure and cowlings were consumed by postaccident fire. The fuel tanks were not retrofitted with bladder tanks, and both fuel tanks sustained significant thermal damage. The filler caps remained secure to their filler necks, and both finger screens were clear of debris.
On-scene examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any evidence of preimpact malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the helicopter. The closest official weather reporting location was from the Danville regional airport, Danville, Virginia, located about 9 miles southeast of the accident site. At 1453, the automated weather observation system reported wind variable at 3 knots, visibility 6 miles with mist, and the overcast ceiling at 400 ft above ground level. An airmen's meteorological information (AIRMET) sierra for instrument flight rules conditions was issued at 1045 for ceilings below 1,000 ft and visibility below 3 miles with mist and fog present. Multiple witnesses reported the weather around the time of the accident as being “murky” or foggy.
As the FAA filed it
ABOUT 1438, THE PILOT COMPLETED A SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT AND DROPPED THE TWO PASSENGERS OFF AT THEIR HOME. ACCORDING TO ONE OF THE PASSENGERS, THE PILOT ENDED THE FLIGHT EARLY DUE TO FOG WHICH RESTRICTED INFLIGHT VISIBILITY. THE PASSENGER PROVIDED A PHOTOGRAPH THAT WAS CAPTURED DURING THE SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT THAT SHOWED THE REPORTED FOG AND REDUCED VISIBILITIES.
AT 1439, THE PILOT SENT A TEXT MESSAGE TO A FRIEND STATING THAT HE WAS EN ROUTE TO A RESTAURANT LOCATED ABOUT 12 MILES EAST FROM WHERE HE HAD DROPPED OFF THE PASSENGERS. AT 1446, THE PILOT AGAIN TEXTED HIS FRIEND AND WROTE THAT HE ENCOUNTERED FOG AND MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING AT A CONVENIENCE STORE ABOUT 3.3 MILES NORTH OF THE PASSENGER DROP OFF LOCATION.
ACCORDING TO A WITNESS NEAR THE CONVENIENCE STORE, ABOUT 1455, THE HELICOPTER TOOK OFF AND THEN “DISAPPEARED IN THE FOG”. THE WITNESS ESTIMATED THAT HE HEARD A SOUND CONSISTENT WITH THE HELICOPTER IMPACTING THE GROUND LESS THAN A MINUTE AFTER IT DISAPPEARED INTO THE FOG. ACCORDING TO VIDEO FOOTAGE PROVIDED BY A WITNESS, THE HELICOPTER MADE A SOUTHEASTERLY DEPARTURE FROM THE CONVENIENCE STORE.
THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED A RESIDENTIAL LOT AND A POSTIMPACT FIRE ENSUED. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS ABOUT 1/4 MILE NORTHEAST OF THE CONVENIENCE STORE. THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST ON ITS RIGHT SIDE ON A NORTH HEADING.
ALL MAJOR HELICOPTER COMPONENTS WERE IDENTIFIED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. MOST OF THE CABIN STRUCTURE AND COWLINGS WERE CONSUMED BY POSTACCIDENT FIRE. THE FUEL TANKS WERE NOT RETROFITTED WITH BLADDER TANKS, AND BOTH FUEL TANKS SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT THERMAL DAMAGE. THE FILLER CAPS REMAINED SECURE TO THEIR FILLER NECKS, AND BOTH FINGER SCREENS WERE CLEAR OF DEBRIS.
ON-SCENE EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME AND ENGINE DID NOT REVEAL ANY EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES THAT WOULD HAVE PRECLUDED NORMAL OPERATION OF THE HELICOPTER. THE CLOSEST OFFICIAL WEATHER REPORTING LOCATION WAS FROM THE DANVILLE REGIONAL AIRPORT, DANVILLE, VIRGINIA, LOCATED ABOUT 9 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. AT 1453, THE AUTOMATED WEATHER OBSERVATION SYSTEM REPORTED WIND VARIABLE AT 3 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 6 MILES WITH MIST, AND THE OVERCAST CEILING AT 400 FT ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. AN AIRMEN'S METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION (AIRMET) SIERRA FOR INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES CONDITIONS WAS ISSUED AT 1045 FOR CEILINGS BELOW 1,000 FT AND VISIBILITY BELOW 3 MILES WITH MIST AND FOG PRESENT. MULTIPLE WITNESSES REPORTED THE WEATHER AROUND THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AS BEING “MURKY” OR FOGGY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.