What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative: on July 21, 1994, Bell helicopter, model 206, N2750F, prepared to depart Gillespie airport (see), El Cajon, California on a local maintenance test flight. Immediately following take-off, while in transitioning to forward flight, all cyclic lateral control input was lost, resulting in a hard landing incident. Damage to the aircraft was minor and the pilot and passenger were not injured.. Post incident investigation revealed that prior to the incident flight, the cyclic lateral control rod had been removed from the swash plate assembly to access and repair an oil leak. Following repair, the lateral control rod attachment bolt was not re-installed, and this was not discovered during pre-flight inspection. This incident is under investigation privacy data omitted this incident did not involve a NMAC or pilot deviation.
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE: ON JULY 21, 1994, BELL HELICOPTER, MODEL 206, N2750F, PREPARED TO DEPART GILLESPIE AIRPORT (SEE), EL CAJON, CALIFORNIA ON A LOCAL MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING TAKE-OFF, WHILE IN TRANSITIONING TO FORWARD FLIGHT, ALL CYCLIC LATERAL CONTROL INPUT WAS LOST, RESULTING IN A HARD LANDING INCIDENT. DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS MINOR AND THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED.. POST INCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT FLIGHT, THE CYCLIC LATERAL CONTROL ROD HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THE SWASH PLATE ASSEMBLY TO ACCESS AND REPAIR AN OIL LEAK. FOLLOWING REPAIR, THE LATERAL CONTROL ROD ATTACHMENT BOLT WAS NOT RE-INSTALLED, AND THIS WAS NOT DISCOVERED DURING PRE-FLIGHT INSPECTION. THIS INCIDENT IS UNDER INVESTIGATION ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THIS INCIDENT DID NOT INVOLVE A NMAC OR PILOT DEVIATION.