What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Near destination observed flying fast and low. Flames from engine. Impacted open field and burned. (.4)a witness observed the Bell 206-A helicopter 'flying fast' in a southerly direction at about 500 to 600 feet AGL. Flames were coming from the helicopter's right rear side in the vicinity of the engine compartment, and very little smoke was observed. Prior to descending from view, the helicopter appeared to be in controlled flight. Subsequently, the aircraft impacted the ground and was destroyed by the in-flight and postimpact fire. Examination of the engine compartment revealed that the step portion of the forward firewall where the throttle and fuel line pass through had localized bluing; however the fuel line connector which was still attached to the firewall fitting, did not exhibit any fire damage. The #3 tail rotor drive shaft segment was found 66 feet prior the the initial impact scar. It was fractured with fire damaged fiberglass cloth wrapped around the forward end of the fractured shaft. According to a NTSB metallurgist, 'the fracture was consistent with an overstress after exposure to elevated temperatures.' The helicopter was returning to guatemala after com pletion of schedule maintenance performed in the united states. (-23) on March 24, 1998, approximately 3:30 pm central standard time, a Bell 206-A helicopter, guatemala registry tgjet, registered to and operated by pinarsa of guatemala city, guatemala, as a title 14 CFR part positioning flight, was destroyed during impact with terrain near rio hondo, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed. The private pilot and pilot rated mechanic were fatally injured. The flight originated from fort worth, Texas, at 0800, and departed new braunfels, Texas, a planned fuel stop at approximately 1100. According to preliminary information, the pilot contacted the Brownsville tower and reported that he was 25 miles north northwest at 1,000 feet MSL inbound for landing. Brownsville tower instructed the pilot to report when he was 10 miles from Brownsville. There were no further communications with the pilot. During a personal interview conducted by the NTSB investigator-in-charge, a witness reported observing the helicopter "flying fast" in a southerly direction at about 500 to 600 feet. There were flames coming from its right rear side in the vici nity of the engine compartment. Prior to descending out of view, the helicopter appeared to be in controlled flight. Subsequently, it impacted the ground in a large open field and was consumed by fire.
As the FAA filed it
NEAR DESTINATION OBSERVED FLYING FAST AND LOW. FLAMES FROM ENGINE. IMPACTED OPEN FIELD AND BURNED. (.4)A WITNESS OBSERVED THE BELL 206-A HELICOPTER 'FLYING FAST' IN A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION AT ABOUT 500 TO 600 FEET AGL. FLAMES WERE COMING FROM THE HELICOPTER'S RIGHT REAR SIDE IN THE VICINITY OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, AND VERY LITTLE SMOKE WAS OBSERVED. PRIOR TO DESCENDING FROM VIEW, THE HELICOPTER APPEARED TO BE IN CONTROLLED FLIGHT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND AND WAS DESTROYED BY THE IN-FLIGHT AND POSTIMPACT FIRE. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT REVEALED THAT THE STEP PORTION OF THE FORWARD FIREWALL WHERE THE THROTTLE AND FUEL LINE PASS THROUGH HAD LOCALIZED BLUING; HOWEVER THE FUEL LINE CONNECTOR WHICH WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE FIREWALL FITTING, DID NOT EXHIBIT ANY FIRE DAMAGE. THE #3 TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT SEGMENT WAS FOUND 66 FEET PRIOR THE THE INITIAL IMPACT SCAR. IT WAS FRACTURED WITH FIRE DAMAGED FIBERGLASS CLOTH WRAPPED AROUND THE FORWARD END OF THE FRACTURED SHAFT. ACCORDING TO A NTSB METALLURGIST, 'THE FRACTURE WAS CONSISTENT WITH AN OVERSTRESS AFTER EXPOSURE TO ELEVATED TEMPERATURES.' THE HELICOPTER WAS RETURNING TO GUATEMALA AFTER COM PLETION OF SCHEDULE MAINTENANCE PERFORMED IN THE UNITED STATES. (-23) ON MARCH 24, 1998, APPROXIMATELY 3:30 PM CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A BELL 206-A HELICOPTER, GUATEMALA REGISTRY TGJET, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY PINARSA OF GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA, AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART POSITIONING FLIGHT, WAS DESTROYED DURING IMPACT WITH TERRAIN NEAR RIO HONDO, TEXAS. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND PILOT RATED MECHANIC WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM FORT WORTH, TEXAS, AT 0800, AND DEPARTED NEW BRAUNFELS, TEXAS, A PLANNED FUEL STOP AT APPROXIMATELY 1100. ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY INFORMATION, THE PILOT CONTACTED THE BROWNSVILLE TOWER AND REPORTED THAT HE WAS 25 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST AT 1,000 FEET MSL INBOUND FOR LANDING. BROWNSVILLE TOWER INSTRUCTED THE PILOT TO REPORT WHEN HE WAS 10 MILES FROM BROWNSVILLE. THERE WERE NO FURTHER COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE PILOT. DURING A PERSONAL INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE, A WITNESS REPORTED OBSERVING THE HELICOPTER "FLYING FAST" IN A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION AT ABOUT 500 TO 600 FEET. THERE WERE FLAMES COMING FROM ITS RIGHT REAR SIDE IN THE VICI NITY OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. PRIOR TO DESCENDING OUT OF VIEW, THE HELICOPTER APPEARED TO BE IN CONTROLLED FLIGHT. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A LARGE OPEN FIELD AND WAS CONSUMED BY FIRE.