Incident Overview
A witness, identified as the pilot's wife, observed the helicopter's takeoff. She stated that the helicopter had been parked overnight and that earlier, her husband had washed the windscreen with a garden hose. He then boarded, started the engine, lifted into a hover, taxied, and initiated a normal takeoff.
Witness Observations
According to the wife, as the helicopter climbed to an altitude of about 75 to 100 feet, it assumed a slight nose-low descending attitude and suddenly impacted the ground. The helicopter descended and impacted hard on its skids, primarily on the right skid, then fell over onto its right side. It momentarily rolled inverted before rolling back onto its right side. She noted that the helicopter had been operating normally, and she did not hear any unusual noises or observe any erratic movements. She described a gradual nose-low, right-side-low descent faster than normal, which was not the typical gentle movements she had witnessed during her husband's previous takeoffs and landings.
A second witness reported standing at the edge of a driveway when the helicopter was about 100 feet in the air. He heard a loud "pop" noise and saw a momentary blaze of fire. The helicopter then nosed over, descended, and impacted the ground upside down.
Postcrash Examination
A postcrash examination of the helicopter and its systems did not reveal any preaccident anomalies.