What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 26, 1998, about 1805 EDT, a roginson R-22 N9067G, was substantially damaged during a forced landing in Duncannon, Pennsylvania. The certificated student pilot was seriously injured. Visual meteorlogical prevailed for the personal flight, which originated from a private heliport in Duncannon, about one minute before the accident. No flight plan had been filed for the flight that was conducted under 14 CFR part 91. An inspector from the federal aviation administration (FAA) reported that the helicopter had not been flown in over three and a half years. The pilot had not flown in the same length of time. The purpose of the flight was to check the helicopter before sellint it. The inspector further added that the pilot departed froma private helipad at his residence and was climbing through about 200 feet avove the ground when the engine lost power. The pilot performed an autoratation to an open area. During the landing, the skids broke off and the tail boom was bent down. Post accident examination by FAA inspectors revealed the carburetor was crushed and the fuel line between the carburetor and fuel strainer was empty. The fuel strainer was drained, and about one quart of water was drained before observing fuel. When the fuel first appeared it was milky and the fuel strainer contained debris. The fuel type used was automotive. The student pilot/medical certificate was issued on April 4, 1997, and was not endorsed for solo flight. The pilot reported his total time as about 470 hours, all in helicopters. (.4) the student pilot departed from a heliport at his resident in a helicopter. Climbing through about 200 feet AGL, the engine lost power, and the pilot made a hard landing. The pilot reported that he found contamination in the fuel tank during his preflight. The investigation found that neither the helicopter nor the pilot had flown in over 2 years. The fuel in the tank was found to be contaminated with water and rust, and had become aged. The pilot was not signed off for solo flight. The last annual inspection was over 2 years prior to the accident. The pilot's logbook revealed a total time of 470 hours with 358 hours in rotorcraft.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 26, 1998, ABOUT 1805 EDT, A ROGINSON R-22 N9067G, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING IN DUNCANNON, PENNSYLVANIA. THE CERTIFICATED STUDENT PILOT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. VISUAL METEORLOGICAL PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT, WHICH ORIGINATED FROM A PRIVATE HELIPORT IN DUNCANNON, ABOUT ONE MINUTE BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE FLIGHT THAT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. AN INSPECTOR FROM THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) REPORTED THAT THE HELICOPTER HAD NOT BEEN FLOWN IN OVER THREE AND A HALF YEARS. THE PILOT HAD NOT FLOWN IN THE SAME LENGTH OF TIME. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO CHECK THE HELICOPTER BEFORE SELLINT IT. THE INSPECTOR FURTHER ADDED THAT THE PILOT DEPARTED FROMA PRIVATE HELIPAD AT HIS RESIDENCE AND WAS CLIMBING THROUGH ABOUT 200 FEET AVOVE THE GROUND WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT PERFORMED AN AUTORATATION TO AN OPEN AREA. DURING THE LANDING, THE SKIDS BROKE OFF AND THE TAIL BOOM WAS BENT DOWN. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION BY FAA INSPECTORS REVEALED THE CARBURETOR WAS CRUSHED AND THE FUEL LINE BETWEEN THE CARBURETOR AND FUEL STRAINER WAS EMPTY. THE FUEL STRAINER WAS DRAINED, AND ABOUT ONE QUART OF WATER WAS DRAINED BEFORE OBSERVING FUEL. WHEN THE FUEL FIRST APPEARED IT WAS MILKY AND THE FUEL STRAINER CONTAINED DEBRIS. THE FUEL TYPE USED WAS AUTOMOTIVE. THE STUDENT PILOT/MEDICAL CERTIFICATE WAS ISSUED ON APRIL 4, 1997, AND WAS NOT ENDORSED FOR SOLO FLIGHT. THE PILOT REPORTED HIS TOTAL TIME AS ABOUT 470 HOURS, ALL IN HELICOPTERS. (.4) THE STUDENT PILOT DEPARTED FROM A HELIPORT AT HIS RESIDENT IN A HELICOPTER. CLIMBING THROUGH ABOUT 200 FEET AGL, THE ENGINE LOST POWER, AND THE PILOT MADE A HARD LANDING. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE FOUND CONTAMINATION IN THE FUEL TANK DURING HIS PREFLIGHT. THE INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT NEITHER THE HELICOPTER NOR THE PILOT HAD FLOWN IN OVER 2 YEARS. THE FUEL IN THE TANK WAS FOUND TO BE CONTAMINATED WITH WATER AND RUST, AND HAD BECOME AGED. THE PILOT WAS NOT SIGNED OFF FOR SOLO FLIGHT. THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS OVER 2 YEARS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT'S LOGBOOK REVEALED A TOTAL TIME OF 470 HOURS WITH 358 HOURS IN ROTORCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.