ATL86FA081

Factual narrative

THE FLT WAS LAST SEEN TO DEPART RWY 23 AT THE GREENVILLE ARPT & ENTER A LOW CLOUD LAYER AT NGT. A WITNESS ESTIMATED THE HELICOPTER ENTERED THE CLOUDS AT ABOUT 300 TO 400 FT AGL. NO FLT PLAN WAS FILED. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND THE NEXT DAY, LOCATED ABOUT 1/4 MI SOUTH OF THE EXTENDED RWY CENTERLINE. AN EXAM REVEALED THE INITIAL IMPACT WAS WITH A TREE. THE HELICOPTER THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND, APRX 75 FT DOWNHILL & NORTH OF THE INITIAL TREE IMPACT POINT. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND; HOWEVER, THE HELICOPTER WAS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED (DESTROYED) WHEN IT CRASHED. THE PLT WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED. A TOXICOLOGY CHECK SHOWED ONLY A SLIGHT AMOUNT (375 NG/ML) OF BUTALBITAL IN THE PLT'S URINE. A CHECK OF HIS BLOOD WAS NEGATIVE FOR DRUGS/MEDICATION. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12