What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Helicopter lost power after takeoff, executed an auto rotation. Landed hard and rolled over on its side. (-23) the pilot stated that shortly after takeoff, at approximately 60-feet above ground level, a loud bang occurred. The aircraft yawed to the left and the rotor speed began to decay. The pilot initiated an autorotation and made a hard right turn to land in a suitable area. The aircraft landed hard on the right skid and came to rest on the right side. Subsequent examination of the engine and its systems did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions. The engine did show evidence of ingestion of a foreign matter. The engine bleed air scroll was stained with what is assumed to be remnants of a ground frog. It is believed that a ground frog was ingested into the engine compressor and caused a momentary stall. Due to the low altitude, the pilot assumed it was a total failure of the engine and executed an emergency landing. The operator of the aircraft has experienced other incidents which it attributes to ingestion of a frog into the engine. Since this latest occurrence, the operator has established procedures to cover the engine intake area when the aircraft are parked overnight at this location. The operator has also consulted with environmental professionals to attempt to further eliminate the problem.
As the FAA filed it
HELICOPTER LOST POWER AFTER TAKEOFF, EXECUTED AN AUTO ROTATION. LANDED HARD AND ROLLED OVER ON ITS SIDE. (-23) THE PILOT STATED THAT SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, AT APPROXIMATELY 60-FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, A LOUD BANG OCCURRED. THE AIRCRAFT YAWED TO THE LEFT AND THE ROTOR SPEED BEGAN TO DECAY. THE PILOT INITIATED AN AUTOROTATION AND MADE A HARD RIGHT TURN TO LAND IN A SUITABLE AREA. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD ON THE RIGHT SKID AND CAME TO REST ON THE RIGHT SIDE. SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE AND ITS SYSTEMS DID NOT REVEAL ANY MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS. THE ENGINE DID SHOW EVIDENCE OF INGESTION OF A FOREIGN MATTER. THE ENGINE BLEED AIR SCROLL WAS STAINED WITH WHAT IS ASSUMED TO BE REMNANTS OF A GROUND FROG. IT IS BELIEVED THAT A GROUND FROG WAS INGESTED INTO THE ENGINE COMPRESSOR AND CAUSED A MOMENTARY STALL. DUE TO THE LOW ALTITUDE, THE PILOT ASSUMED IT WAS A TOTAL FAILURE OF THE ENGINE AND EXECUTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING. THE OPERATOR OF THE AIRCRAFT HAS EXPERIENCED OTHER INCIDENTS WHICH IT ATTRIBUTES TO INGESTION OF A FROG INTO THE ENGINE. SINCE THIS LATEST OCCURRENCE, THE OPERATOR HAS ESTABLISHED PROCEDURES TO COVER THE ENGINE INTAKE AREA WHEN THE AIRCRAFT ARE PARKED OVERNIGHT AT THIS LOCATION. THE OPERATOR HAS ALSO CONSULTED WITH ENVIRONMENTAL PROFESSIONALS TO ATTEMPT TO FURTHER ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.