What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Witnesses stated the helicopter, flying VMC in IMC conditions, made three attempts to make a scheduled off-airport landing in a valley with 100 foot cielings. The witnesses near the landing zone did not see the helicopter, only hearing it as it passed overhead.
The helicopter then departed for a few minutes before returning at high speed. Witnesses saw it dive out of the clouds, level off just above the ground, then quickly climb, ascending into the low fog before hearing it collide with the mountain in front of it.
The crash scene covered approximately 1/2 acre with three distinct impacts as the helicopter tumbled up the steep mountainside before bursting into flames.
Very small debris scattered over a very wide area indicated a high-energy, high-speed impact.
The pilot was the only occupant and did not survive.
As the FAA filed it
WITNESSES STATED THE HELICOPTER, FLYING VMC IN IMC CONDITIONS, MADE THREE ATTEMPTS TO MAKE A SCHEDULED OFF-AIRPORT LANDING IN A VALLEY WITH 100 FOOT CIELINGS. THE WITNESSES NEAR THE LANDING ZONE DID NOT SEE THE HELICOPTER, ONLY HEARING IT AS IT PASSED OVERHEAD.
THE HELICOPTER THEN DEPARTED FOR A FEW MINUTES BEFORE RETURNING AT HIGH SPEED. WITNESSES SAW IT DIVE OUT OF THE CLOUDS, LEVEL OFF JUST ABOVE THE GROUND, THEN QUICKLY CLIMB, ASCENDING INTO THE LOW FOG BEFORE HEARING IT COLLIDE WITH THE MOUNTAIN IN FRONT OF IT.
THE CRASH SCENE COVERED APPROXIMATELY 1/2 ACRE WITH THREE DISTINCT IMPACTS AS THE HELICOPTER TUMBLED UP THE STEEP MOUNTAINSIDE BEFORE BURSTING INTO FLAMES.
VERY SMALL DEBRIS SCATTERED OVER A VERY WIDE AREA INDICATED A HIGH-ENERGY, HIGH-SPEED IMPACT.
THE PILOT WAS THE ONLY OCCUPANT AND DID NOT SURVIVE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.