What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Engine failed in flight and aircraft crashed landed. (.4) the pilot reported that he flew the helicopter to a refueling Facility and refueled. Shortly after takeoff, while en route to pick up passengers, the engine began to lose power. The pilot elected to make a precautionary landing; however, the engine lost total power about 50 to 75 feet above the ground. An autorotation was made to an area of bushes. Examination of the fuel system revealed that the airframe fuel filter was contaminated with water and a green material. The engine driven fuel pump filter was also contaminated, and the fuel control screen contained some foreign material. Samples of fuel were collected from fuel facilities that had been used on the day of the accident and the day before the accident. However, no relevant contamination was found. (-23) on July 11, 1996, at 0642 CDT, a Bell 206B iii, N1082N, registered to and operated by horizon helicopters, inc., on a 14 CFR part positioning flight, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Matagorda, Texas. The commercial pilot and sole occupant sustained a minor back injury. The flight originated from horizon's Matagorda base. The pilot reported thathe flew from their Matagorda base to a fueling Facility about a half mile away and fueled the helicopter. Shortly after departure from the fueling Facility, the engine began to lose power and he initiated a precautionary landing, at 75 feet AGL, the engine lost power totally and an autorotation was initiated. The only available landing area had thick bushes about three to four feet tall covering the ground. The helicopter landed hard and the main rotor severed the tail boom forward of the horizontal stabilizer. Examination of the helicopter revealed that the airfram fuel filter and the engine driven fuel pump filter was contaminated with water and a green material. The fuel control screen also had some foreign material in it. Fuel samples were taken at the fueling Facility where the helicopter had just fueled and the sample taken at the fueling nozzle contained no contamination. A sample taken at the sump revealed only minor foreign material. Fuel samples taken at fueling facilities where the helicopter was fueled at the day prior to the accident revealed no contamination. The pilot reported that he found no contamination when he drained the aircraft fuel sump on that morning's preflight inspection.
As the FAA filed it
ENGINE FAILED IN FLIGHT AND AIRCRAFT CRASHED LANDED. (.4) THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE FLEW THE HELICOPTER TO A REFUELING FACILITY AND REFUELED. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, WHILE EN ROUTE TO PICK UP PASSENGERS, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. THE PILOT ELECTED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING; HOWEVER, THE ENGINE LOST TOTAL POWER ABOUT 50 TO 75 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. AN AUTOROTATION WAS MADE TO AN AREA OF BUSHES. EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM REVEALED THAT THE AIRFRAME FUEL FILTER WAS CONTAMINATED WITH WATER AND A GREEN MATERIAL. THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP FILTER WAS ALSO CONTAMINATED, AND THE FUEL CONTROL SCREEN CONTAINED SOME FOREIGN MATERIAL. SAMPLES OF FUEL WERE COLLECTED FROM FUEL FACILITIES THAT HAD BEEN USED ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT AND THE DAY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. HOWEVER, NO RELEVANT CONTAMINATION WAS FOUND. (-23) ON JULY 11, 1996, AT 0642 CDT, A BELL 206B III, N1082N, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY HORIZON HELICOPTERS, INC., ON A 14 CFR PART POSITIONING FLIGHT, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING NEAR MATAGORDA, TEXAS. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND SOLE OCCUPANT SUSTAINED A MINOR BACK INJURY. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM HORIZON'S MATAGORDA BASE. THE PILOT REPORTED THATHE FLEW FROM THEIR MATAGORDA BASE TO A FUELING FACILITY ABOUT A HALF MILE AWAY AND FUELED THE HELICOPTER. SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE FROM THE FUELING FACILITY, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER AND HE INITIATED A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING, AT 75 FEET AGL, THE ENGINE LOST POWER TOTALLY AND AN AUTOROTATION WAS INITIATED. THE ONLY AVAILABLE LANDING AREA HAD THICK BUSHES ABOUT THREE TO FOUR FEET TALL COVERING THE GROUND. THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD AND THE MAIN ROTOR SEVERED THE TAIL BOOM FORWARD OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER REVEALED THAT THE AIRFRAM FUEL FILTER AND THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP FILTER WAS CONTAMINATED WITH WATER AND A GREEN MATERIAL. THE FUEL CONTROL SCREEN ALSO HAD SOME FOREIGN MATERIAL IN IT. FUEL SAMPLES WERE TAKEN AT THE FUELING FACILITY WHERE THE HELICOPTER HAD JUST FUELED AND THE SAMPLE TAKEN AT THE FUELING NOZZLE CONTAINED NO CONTAMINATION. A SAMPLE TAKEN AT THE SUMP REVEALED ONLY MINOR FOREIGN MATERIAL. FUEL SAMPLES TAKEN AT FUELING FACILITIES WHERE THE HELICOPTER WAS FUELED AT THE DAY PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT REVEALED NO CONTAMINATION. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE FOUND NO CONTAMINATION WHEN HE DRAINED THE AIRCRAFT FUEL SUMP ON THAT MORNING'S PREFLIGHT INSPECTION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.