Departure and Weather Conditions
The pilot of the accident flight contacted a friend and canceled a previously scheduled flight for the friend's son, stating that it was too foggy. Approximately 30 minutes later, the pilot departed from the mountainous area helipad on the accident flight. No eyewitness observed the departure. The caretaker of the helipad area reported that the helicopter flew in a northerly direction and that the prevailing fog and low cloud conditions were intermittent at the time of departure.
Witness Observations
About five minutes after departure, ground witnesses heard the helicopter pass over a condominium complex in a southeasterly direction. Moments later, they reported hearing a sudden loud noise. The witnesses reported that the ceiling was about 50 feet above the ground and that the higher elevation tree tops were obscured by the clouds.
Accident Sequence and Damage
The helicopter struck trees south of the condominium complex and continued in a southeasterly direction until striking the south side of the complex. A 6-foot by 2-foot diameter section of a tree was severed by the helicopter's main rotor blade. This tree section penetrated the condominium complex roof and front glass window. The tree section came to rest about 250 feet beyond the tree impact area in the street.