Sequence of Events
About 20 feet above the touchdown point, the pilot doubled over due to severe cramping, inadvertently moving the cyclic forward and to the right. This caused the main rotor blades to contact the ground, and the helicopter came to rest on its side.
Pilot Symptoms and Actions
The pilot had attempted to drink a glass of tea about 2 hours before the mission but discarded it because it tasted bad. During the mission, he felt a little discomfort when he detected the tea taste again. After the mission, he felt better and did not expect any problems on the return to base.
About 5 minutes from the base hospital, nausea, sweating, and cramps suddenly overcame the pilot, and he began to retch. It was a dark, moonless night, and rough terrain was below him. The airport was at his 12 o'clock position at 5 miles, so he elected to fly there rather than attempt an off-airport landing. He requested a sick sack about 1 minute prior to landing.