What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Lost power on climbout. Yawned. Low RPM light and horn. Auto rotated in tailwind. Landed in tree tops. No anomalies (.4)the pilot stated the helicopter was approximately 800 feet above ground level, climbing 300 feet-per-minute at 60 knots airspeed, when he heard the low rotor RPM warning horn and saw the corresponding low RPM warning light. The pilot said he entered autorotation '...with a nasty tailwind.' The pilot selected an open field for a forced landing site, determined he would overshoot, but continued straight ahead into trees. Prior to entering the trees that bordered the field, the pilot '...attempted to roll on throttle but got no response.' According to a manufacturer's safety notice: 'no matter what causes the low rotor RPM, the pilot must first roll on throttle and lower collective simultaneously to recover RPM before investigating the problem.' The pilot reported there were no mechanical deficiencies prior to the low RPM warning and the engine ran to manufacturer's specification after the accident. According to an icing probability chart published by th e FAA, atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to '...serious icing at cruise power.'
As the FAA filed it
LOST POWER ON CLIMBOUT. YAWNED. LOW RPM LIGHT AND HORN. AUTO ROTATED IN TAILWIND. LANDED IN TREE TOPS. NO ANOMALIES (.4)THE PILOT STATED THE HELICOPTER WAS APPROXIMATELY 800 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, CLIMBING 300 FEET-PER-MINUTE AT 60 KNOTS AIRSPEED, WHEN HE HEARD THE LOW ROTOR RPM WARNING HORN AND SAW THE CORRESPONDING LOW RPM WARNING LIGHT. THE PILOT SAID HE ENTERED AUTOROTATION '...WITH A NASTY TAILWIND.' THE PILOT SELECTED AN OPEN FIELD FOR A FORCED LANDING SITE, DETERMINED HE WOULD OVERSHOOT, BUT CONTINUED STRAIGHT AHEAD INTO TREES. PRIOR TO ENTERING THE TREES THAT BORDERED THE FIELD, THE PILOT '...ATTEMPTED TO ROLL ON THROTTLE BUT GOT NO RESPONSE.' ACCORDING TO A MANUFACTURER'S SAFETY NOTICE: 'NO MATTER WHAT CAUSES THE LOW ROTOR RPM, THE PILOT MUST FIRST ROLL ON THROTTLE AND LOWER COLLECTIVE SIMULTANEOUSLY TO RECOVER RPM BEFORE INVESTIGATING THE PROBLEM.' THE PILOT REPORTED THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL DEFICIENCIES PRIOR TO THE LOW RPM WARNING AND THE ENGINE RAN TO MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATION AFTER THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO AN ICING PROBABILITY CHART PUBLISHED BY TH E FAA, ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE CONDUCIVE TO '...SERIOUS ICING AT CRUISE 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.