What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Engine lost power on descent. Unable restart. Autorotated. Rolled over landing. No carb heat. Possible carb icing. (.4) according to the pilot/builder, the homebuilt helicopter was in cruise at 1000 feet AGL when he initiated a 200-300 foot per minute descent. After approximately one minute, at an altitude of approximately 500-700 feet AGL, the engine lost power. He executed an autorotation and forced landing into a corn field. The pilot stated that the helicopter had some forward velocity on landing, causing one of the skids to sink and get caught in the soft terrain. The helicopter subsequently nosed over and was substantially damaged. The temperature and dewpoint on the surface was reported to be 42 degrees f and 38 degrees f respectively. According to carburetor icing charts, the accident flight was operating in conditions favorable to carburetor icing. Post accident investigation revealed that the carburetor heat systems was operating. The pilot stated that during the descent phase of flight, the engine temperatures were indicating in the low end of the green arc, but he did not notice the carburetor temperature gauge indication. The vice president of rotorway, international agreed to issue an advisory bulletin to all registered owners of rotorway helicopters having the RI-162 engine, informing them of the background of theis accident, as well as alternate way of carburetor icing prevention and avoidance.
As the FAA filed it
ENGINE LOST POWER ON DESCENT. UNABLE RESTART. AUTOROTATED. ROLLED OVER LANDING. NO CARB HEAT. POSSIBLE CARB ICING. (.4) ACCORDING TO THE PILOT/BUILDER, THE HOMEBUILT HELICOPTER WAS IN CRUISE AT 1000 FEET AGL WHEN HE INITIATED A 200-300 FOOT PER MINUTE DESCENT. AFTER APPROXIMATELY ONE MINUTE, AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 500-700 FEET AGL, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. HE EXECUTED AN AUTOROTATION AND FORCED LANDING INTO A CORN FIELD. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE HELICOPTER HAD SOME FORWARD VELOCITY ON LANDING, CAUSING ONE OF THE SKIDS TO SINK AND GET CAUGHT IN THE SOFT TERRAIN. THE HELICOPTER SUBSEQUENTLY NOSED OVER AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE TEMPERATURE AND DEWPOINT ON THE SURFACE WAS REPORTED TO BE 42 DEGREES F AND 38 DEGREES F RESPECTIVELY. ACCORDING TO CARBURETOR ICING CHARTS, THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT WAS OPERATING IN CONDITIONS FAVORABLE TO CARBURETOR ICING. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE CARBURETOR HEAT SYSTEMS WAS OPERATING. THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING THE DESCENT PHASE OF FLIGHT, THE ENGINE TEMPERATURES WERE INDICATING IN THE LOW END OF THE GREEN ARC, BUT HE DID NOT NOTICE THE CARBURETOR TEMPERATURE GAUGE INDICATION. THE VICE PRESIDENT OF ROTORWAY, INTERNATIONAL AGREED TO ISSUE AN ADVISORY BULLETIN TO ALL REGISTERED OWNERS OF ROTORWAY HELICOPTERS HAVING THE RI-162 ENGINE, INFORMING THEM OF THE BACKGROUND OF THEIS ACCIDENT, AS WELL AS ALTERNATE WAY OF CARBURETOR ICING PREVENTION AND AVOIDANCE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.