What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Helicopter was taking off for a sight seeing flight when it lost power and landed off the field in the sage brush about 2 miles west of the arpt. (.19)on August 4, 1998, at 1445 mountain daylight time, a Enstrom F-28F helicopter, N8619M, sustained substantial damage during an emergency autorotation landing after the engine lost power during initial climb following takeoff near bryce Canyon, Utah. The commercial pilot and sole occupant was not injured and no flight plan was filed for this local area flight under title 14 CFR part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. (.4) the pilot was departing to the east when he noticed a drop in rotor RPM. He rolled the throttle, but no power was being produced from the engine. He landed straight ahead and performed a high altitude run on landing. After touching down, the helicopter slid approximately 30 to 40 feet. The left skid was caught in ground brush, and the left front support of the landing gear was broken. The tail rotor blades were bent, and while still rotating, impacted the skid bar, shearing the bar off and separating the gear box from the tail. The helicopter came to rest on its left side. Postaccident examination of the aircraft by an FAA inspector revealed the turbocharger had leaked oil into the induction system. According to his accident report, `the slight power loss appears to have been caused by the oil leakage pass[ing] the seals in the turbocharger.' (-23)pilot indicated he experience a partial power lose on takeoff. He made a running landing onto the soge brush causing the left skid to partially sail. Upon engine shutdown and rotor disengagement the main rotor (1BLADE) struck the ground rebounding the helicopter backward causing the rotor blade to sever the tail boom.
As the FAA filed it
HELICOPTER WAS TAKING OFF FOR A SIGHT SEEING FLIGHT WHEN IT LOST POWER AND LANDED OFF THE FIELD IN THE SAGE BRUSH ABOUT 2 MILES WEST OF THE ARPT. (.19)ON AUGUST 4, 1998, AT 1445 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A ENSTROM F-28F HELICOPTER, N8619M, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING AN EMERGENCY AUTOROTATION LANDING AFTER THE ENGINE LOST POWER DURING INITIAL CLIMB FOLLOWING TAKEOFF NEAR BRYCE CANYON, UTAH. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND SOLE OCCUPANT WAS NOT INJURED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THIS LOCAL AREA FLIGHT UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. (.4) THE PILOT WAS DEPARTING TO THE EAST WHEN HE NOTICED A DROP IN ROTOR RPM. HE ROLLED THE THROTTLE, BUT NO POWER WAS BEING PRODUCED FROM THE ENGINE. HE LANDED STRAIGHT AHEAD AND PERFORMED A HIGH ALTITUDE RUN ON LANDING. AFTER TOUCHING DOWN, THE HELICOPTER SLID APPROXIMATELY 30 TO 40 FEET. THE LEFT SKID WAS CAUGHT IN GROUND BRUSH, AND THE LEFT FRONT SUPPORT OF THE LANDING GEAR WAS BROKEN. THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES WERE BENT, AND WHILE STILL ROTATING, IMPACTED THE SKID BAR, SHEARING THE BAR OFF AND SEPARATING THE GEAR BOX FROM THE TAIL. THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST ON ITS LEFT SIDE. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT BY AN FAA INSPECTOR REVEALED THE TURBOCHARGER HAD LEAKED OIL INTO THE INDUCTION SYSTEM. ACCORDING TO HIS ACCIDENT REPORT, `THE SLIGHT POWER LOSS APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE OIL LEAKAGE PASS[ING] THE SEALS IN THE TURBOCHARGER.' (-23)PILOT INDICATED HE EXPERIENCE A PARTIAL POWER LOSE ON TAKEOFF. HE MADE A RUNNING LANDING ONTO THE SOGE BRUSH CAUSING THE LEFT SKID TO PARTIALLY SAIL. UPON ENGINE SHUTDOWN AND ROTOR DISENGAGEMENT THE MAIN ROTOR (1BLADE) STRUCK THE GROUND REBOUNDING THE HELICOPTER BACKWARD CAUSING THE ROTOR BLADE TO SEVER THE TAIL BOOM.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.