What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Demo flight for prospective student. Entered a autorotation flared. Noticed engine quit. Hit hard. Fuel pump defect (.4)the flight instructor was conducting an introductory flight with a new student. While demonstrating emergency procedures at approximately 400 feet above the ground, the helicopter lost engine power. Determining the ground unsuitable for landing, he turned south and aimed for a flat area of terrain. He cushioned the landing with the collective, then sank 6 inches into the ground. Examination of the engine disclosed no abnormalities, however a postaccident functional test of the engine revealed a malfunction in the engine-driven fuel pump. When the electrically-driven boost pump was switched to the off position, power fluctuations were noted. All three rotor blades were bent, and the tail boom was severed. (-23)demonstration flight for a possible student. Instructor entered a power on autorotation and partially reduced throttle to maintain RPM with in limits. While maneuvering to the area the instructor had picked out the instructor notice the engine RPM was reading 0. Aircraft landed hard on soft truff, bounced once and rotated approx. 180 degrees from the initial touch donw heading.
As the FAA filed it
DEMO FLIGHT FOR PROSPECTIVE STUDENT. ENTERED A AUTOROTATION FLARED. NOTICED ENGINE QUIT. HIT HARD. FUEL PUMP DEFECT (.4)THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WAS CONDUCTING AN INTRODUCTORY FLIGHT WITH A NEW STUDENT. WHILE DEMONSTRATING EMERGENCY PROCEDURES AT APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE HELICOPTER LOST ENGINE POWER. DETERMINING THE GROUND UNSUITABLE FOR LANDING, HE TURNED SOUTH AND AIMED FOR A FLAT AREA OF TERRAIN. HE CUSHIONED THE LANDING WITH THE COLLECTIVE, THEN SANK 6 INCHES INTO THE GROUND. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE DISCLOSED NO ABNORMALITIES, HOWEVER A POSTACCIDENT FUNCTIONAL TEST OF THE ENGINE REVEALED A MALFUNCTION IN THE ENGINE-DRIVEN FUEL PUMP. WHEN THE ELECTRICALLY-DRIVEN BOOST PUMP WAS SWITCHED TO THE OFF POSITION, POWER FLUCTUATIONS WERE NOTED. ALL THREE ROTOR BLADES WERE BENT, AND THE TAIL BOOM WAS SEVERED. (-23)DEMONSTRATION FLIGHT FOR A POSSIBLE STUDENT. INSTRUCTOR ENTERED A POWER ON AUTOROTATION AND PARTIALLY REDUCED THROTTLE TO MAINTAIN RPM WITH IN LIMITS. WHILE MANEUVERING TO THE AREA THE INSTRUCTOR HAD PICKED OUT THE INSTRUCTOR NOTICE THE ENGINE RPM WAS READING 0. AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD ON SOFT TRUFF, BOUNCED ONCE AND ROTATED APPROX. 180 DEGREES FROM THE INITIAL TOUCH DONW HEADING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.