What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Helicopter hovering when pilot heard loud pop, executed autorotation, main rotor flexed, cut off tail boom. (.4)during takeoff, approximately 50 feet AGL, the pilot heard a 'big pop and the helicopter was shaky and noisy.' He initiated a deceleration due to the wires in front of the helicopter. During the landing, 'a main rotor blade flexed down and severed the tailboom.' Throughout the forced landing the pilot had tail rotor pedal control. An examination of the engine by the operator revealed that frogs had been ingested. (-23) on October 14, 1996, at 7:20 am, central daylight time, pilot nien v. phan was attempting to take off from the Shell heliport located at Venice, Louisiana, in a Bell, model 206-L3, N21497, owned by petroleum helicopters, inc. the aircraft was approximately 50 feet in the air when the engine sounded like it was backfiring. Pilot phan entered into an emergency autorotation, landing long on the helipad in order to avoid striking high tension power lines located directly in front of the flight path. The aircraft's main rotor blade struck the tail boom, severing approximately a two-foot secti on of the tail boom to include the vertical fin and tail rotor gear box. Subsequent investigation and tear down of the engine revealed that the engine had ingested several green tree frogs, resulting in loss of power.
As the FAA filed it
HELICOPTER HOVERING WHEN PILOT HEARD LOUD POP, EXECUTED AUTOROTATION, MAIN ROTOR FLEXED, CUT OFF TAIL BOOM. (.4)DURING TAKEOFF, APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET AGL, THE PILOT HEARD A 'BIG POP AND THE HELICOPTER WAS SHAKY AND NOISY.' HE INITIATED A DECELERATION DUE TO THE WIRES IN FRONT OF THE HELICOPTER. DURING THE LANDING, 'A MAIN ROTOR BLADE FLEXED DOWN AND SEVERED THE TAILBOOM.' THROUGHOUT THE FORCED LANDING THE PILOT HAD TAIL ROTOR PEDAL CONTROL. AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE BY THE OPERATOR REVEALED THAT FROGS HAD BEEN INGESTED. (-23) ON OCTOBER 14, 1996, AT 7:20 AM, CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, PILOT NIEN V. PHAN WAS ATTEMPTING TO TAKE OFF FROM THE SHELL HELIPORT LOCATED AT VENICE, LOUISIANA, IN A BELL, MODEL 206-L3, N21497, OWNED BY PETROLEUM HELICOPTERS, INC. THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET IN THE AIR WHEN THE ENGINE SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS BACKFIRING. PILOT PHAN ENTERED INTO AN EMERGENCY AUTOROTATION, LANDING LONG ON THE HELIPAD IN ORDER TO AVOID STRIKING HIGH TENSION POWER LINES LOCATED DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE FLIGHT PATH. THE AIRCRAFT'S MAIN ROTOR BLADE STRUCK THE TAIL BOOM, SEVERING APPROXIMATELY A TWO-FOOT SECTI ON OF THE TAIL BOOM TO INCLUDE THE VERTICAL FIN AND TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION AND TEAR DOWN OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE HAD INGESTED SEVERAL GREEN TREE FROGS, RESULTING IN LOSS OF POWER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.