What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Lost engine power shortly after takeoff, auto rotated into a field, right skid broke off on landing, cartwheeled. (.4) the pilot reported that about 3 minutes into the flight, the engine began to lose power. An autorotation was performed to a downhill, sloping field. The left skid contacted the ground, followed by the right skid, and the helicopter cartwheeled onto its nose. An examination of the helicopter, and the fuel slip which the pilot signed, revealed that it was refueled with jet a fuel instead of 100 ll avgas. The pilot had radioed that he wanted a 'quick turn.' Upon his arrival the attendant was waiting by the fuel pumps. The pilot does not recall if the attendant gave him the nozzle, but the pilot refueled the helicopter. He stated that the accident could have been prevented if the markings on the fuel pumps were more visible, and that the nozzles on jet a pumps should not be made to fit avgas fuel tanks. (-23) on October 3 1997 at approximately 1600 EDT, a Hughes 269A crashed in a pasture two miles south of Campbellsville, KY. The dual instructional flight was being conducted under 14 CFR 91. The aircraft was in cruise flight at approximately 1600 ft. MSL when the engine experienced a loss of power. The instructor executed an auto rotational landing on a thirty degree angle slope left skid first. The aircraft then rolled over to the right and came to a rest on the nose section. The aircraft received substantial damage as a result. The student and instructor pilot were not injured. Post crash examination of the wreckage revealed no system or material defects and no pre or post crash fire. However, statements made by the instructor pilot and the airport operator revealed that the aircraft was refueled with 18 gallons of jet-a prior to the accident. Visual meteorological weather conditions existed at the time of the accident.
As the FAA filed it
LOST ENGINE POWER SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, AUTO ROTATED INTO A FIELD, RIGHT SKID BROKE OFF ON LANDING, CARTWHEELED. (.4) THE PILOT REPORTED THAT ABOUT 3 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. AN AUTOROTATION WAS PERFORMED TO A DOWNHILL, SLOPING FIELD. THE LEFT SKID CONTACTED THE GROUND, FOLLOWED BY THE RIGHT SKID, AND THE HELICOPTER CARTWHEELED ONTO ITS NOSE. AN EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER, AND THE FUEL SLIP WHICH THE PILOT SIGNED, REVEALED THAT IT WAS REFUELED WITH JET A FUEL INSTEAD OF 100 LL AVGAS. THE PILOT HAD RADIOED THAT HE WANTED A 'QUICK TURN.' UPON HIS ARRIVAL THE ATTENDANT WAS WAITING BY THE FUEL PUMPS. THE PILOT DOES NOT RECALL IF THE ATTENDANT GAVE HIM THE NOZZLE, BUT THE PILOT REFUELED THE HELICOPTER. HE STATED THAT THE ACCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF THE MARKINGS ON THE FUEL PUMPS WERE MORE VISIBLE, AND THAT THE NOZZLES ON JET A PUMPS SHOULD NOT BE MADE TO FIT AVGAS FUEL TANKS. (-23) ON OCTOBER 3 1997 AT APPROXIMATELY 1600 EDT, A HUGHES 269A CRASHED IN A PASTURE TWO MILES SOUTH OF CAMPBELLSVILLE, KY. THE DUAL INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR 91. THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT APPROXIMATELY 1600 FT. MSL WHEN THE ENGINE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER. THE INSTRUCTOR EXECUTED AN AUTO ROTATIONAL LANDING ON A THIRTY DEGREE ANGLE SLOPE LEFT SKID FIRST. THE AIRCRAFT THEN ROLLED OVER TO THE RIGHT AND CAME TO A REST ON THE NOSE SECTION. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AS A RESULT. THE STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR PILOT WERE NOT INJURED. POST CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED NO SYSTEM OR MATERIAL DEFECTS AND NO PRE OR POST CRASH FIRE. HOWEVER, STATEMENTS MADE BY THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT AND THE AIRPORT OPERATOR REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS REFUELED WITH 18 GALLONS OF JET-A PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL WEATHER CONDITIONS EXISTED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.