What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Sightseeing tours from Stanwood fairgrounds when the engine caught fire and the acft made an emerg landing. (.4)while reducing power in the initial climb in order to establish cruise flight, the pilot of the helicopter experienced a partial engine power loss, followed by a complete loss of power about 15 seconds later. The pilot executed an autorotation to an emergency landing in a freshly plowed field, whereupon the main rotor flexed downward and contacted the tail boom during the touchdown. A post-accident inspection of the engine revealed that the number two connecting rod had failed near where it attaches to the crankshaft, ultimately leading to a total engine failure. Because both relevant fracture surfaces of the connecting rod were severely damaged and disfigured by repeated rotational impact pounding, the rod was not submitted for metallurgical failure mode examination.
As the FAA filed it
SIGHTSEEING TOURS FROM STANWOOD FAIRGROUNDS WHEN THE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE AND THE ACFT MADE AN EMERG LANDING. (.4)WHILE REDUCING POWER IN THE INITIAL CLIMB IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH CRUISE FLIGHT, THE PILOT OF THE HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED A PARTIAL ENGINE POWER LOSS, FOLLOWED BY A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER ABOUT 15 SECONDS LATER. THE PILOT EXECUTED AN AUTOROTATION TO AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A FRESHLY PLOWED FIELD, WHEREUPON THE MAIN ROTOR FLEXED DOWNWARD AND CONTACTED THE TAIL BOOM DURING THE TOUCHDOWN. A POST-ACCIDENT INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE NUMBER TWO CONNECTING ROD HAD FAILED NEAR WHERE IT ATTACHES TO THE CRANKSHAFT, ULTIMATELY LEADING TO A TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE. BECAUSE BOTH RELEVANT FRACTURE SURFACES OF THE CONNECTING ROD WERE SEVERELY DAMAGED AND DISFIGURED BY REPEATED ROTATIONAL IMPACT POUNDING, THE ROD WAS NOT SUBMITTED FOR METALLURGICAL FAILURE MODE EXAMINATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N7965J · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.