What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
A flight of three Taylorcraft airplanes was returning to their home base at Russellville municipal airport (krue) after completing a flight. The lead aircraft, airplane 1, was in communication with the airport frequency when they were informed about the presence of three privacy data omittedhelicopters parked on the taxiway adjacent to runway 07, preparing for takeoff following refueling. Airplane 1 and airplane 2 successfully entered the traffic pattern and landed without any issues. Meanwhile, the army helicopters communicated their intention to taxi to runway 25 for departure. As airplane 3, the aircraft involved in the accident, was on short final for runway 07, the lead army helicopter unexpectedly lifted into a hover and began its takeoff to the east from the taxiway, contrary to prior radio communications indicating that the helicopters would wait for the arrival of all aircraft. The pilot of airplane 3 considered executing a go-around but ultimately decided against it, fearing that such a maneuver would place the aircraft on a collision course with the departing helicopters. Continuing with the landing approach, airplane 3 touched down on runway 07 but encountered gusty wind conditions that compromised the pilot's ability to maintain directional control. The aircraft veered off the runway, abruptly stopping and pitching onto its nose, ultimately coming to rest inverted. This resulted in significant damage to the aircraft's wing and tail structures, as well as the propeller and engine, due to the propeller striking the ground.
Simultaneously, as airplane 3 was landing, airplane 2, taxiing towards the hangars, encountered wake turbulence from the departing privacy data omittedhelicopters. The turbulence caused airplane 2’S left wing and left main landing gear to lift off the ground, spinning the aircraft on its rotational axis and weather-vaning approximately 130 degrees toward the direction of the departing helicopters. Fortunately, airplane 2 sustained no damage during this incident. The pilot of airplane 3 overheard communication from one of the privacy data omittedhelicopters to another stating, “man, you rotor-washed the [expletive] out of that plane.” the remark suggested that the helicopter's rotor wash had adversely affected the airplane.
As the FAA filed it
A FLIGHT OF THREE TAYLORCRAFT AIRPLANES WAS RETURNING TO THEIR HOME BASE AT RUSSELLVILLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KRUE) AFTER COMPLETING A FLIGHT. THE LEAD AIRCRAFT, AIRPLANE 1, WAS IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE AIRPORT FREQUENCY WHEN THEY WERE INFORMED ABOUT THE PRESENCE OF THREE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^HELICOPTERS PARKED ON THE TAXIWAY ADJACENT TO RUNWAY 07, PREPARING FOR TAKEOFF FOLLOWING REFUELING. AIRPLANE 1 AND AIRPLANE 2 SUCCESSFULLY ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AND LANDED WITHOUT ANY ISSUES. MEANWHILE, THE ARMY HELICOPTERS COMMUNICATED THEIR INTENTION TO TAXI TO RUNWAY 25 FOR DEPARTURE. AS AIRPLANE 3, THE AIRCRAFT INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT, WAS ON SHORT FINAL FOR RUNWAY 07, THE LEAD ARMY HELICOPTER UNEXPECTEDLY LIFTED INTO A HOVER AND BEGAN ITS TAKEOFF TO THE EAST FROM THE TAXIWAY, CONTRARY TO PRIOR RADIO COMMUNICATIONS INDICATING THAT THE HELICOPTERS WOULD WAIT FOR THE ARRIVAL OF ALL AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT OF AIRPLANE 3 CONSIDERED EXECUTING A GO-AROUND BUT ULTIMATELY DECIDED AGAINST IT, FEARING THAT SUCH A MANEUVER WOULD PLACE THE AIRCRAFT ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH THE DEPARTING HELICOPTERS. CONTINUING WITH THE LANDING APPROACH, AIRPLANE 3 TOUCHED DOWN ON RUNWAY 07 BUT ENCOUNTERED GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS THAT COMPROMISED THE PILOT'S ABILITY TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE AIRCRAFT VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY, ABRUPTLY STOPPING AND PITCHING ONTO ITS NOSE, ULTIMATELY COMING TO REST INVERTED. THIS RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT'S WING AND TAIL STRUCTURES, AS WELL AS THE PROPELLER AND ENGINE, DUE TO THE PROPELLER STRIKING THE GROUND.
SIMULTANEOUSLY, AS AIRPLANE 3 WAS LANDING, AIRPLANE 2, TAXIING TOWARDS THE HANGARS, ENCOUNTERED WAKE TURBULENCE FROM THE DEPARTING ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^HELICOPTERS. THE TURBULENCE CAUSED AIRPLANE 2’S LEFT WING AND LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR TO LIFT OFF THE GROUND, SPINNING THE AIRCRAFT ON ITS ROTATIONAL AXIS AND WEATHER-VANING APPROXIMATELY 130 DEGREES TOWARD THE DIRECTION OF THE DEPARTING HELICOPTERS. FORTUNATELY, AIRPLANE 2 SUSTAINED NO DAMAGE DURING THIS INCIDENT. THE PILOT OF AIRPLANE 3 OVERHEARD COMMUNICATION FROM ONE OF THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^HELICOPTERS TO ANOTHER STATING, “MAN, YOU ROTOR-WASHED THE [EXPLETIVE] OUT OF THAT PLANE.” THE REMARK SUGGESTED THAT THE HELICOPTER'S ROTOR WASH HAD ADVERSELY AFFECTED THE AIRPLANE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.