What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On November 12, 1998, at approximately 1815 EST, a Bell 206BIII helicopter, N32KY received substantial damage as a result of an emergency autorotative landing in a muddy field near Louisville, KY. The aircraft was operating under night VFR, 14 CFR 91, by a commercial rated pilot and crewed with a television reporter and camera operator. According a statement given by the pilot, at approximately 1815 while returning to the television station the aircraft began to yaw left, the engine out light activated, and the low rotor audio horn sounded. The pilot entered an autoratation from 1200 feet MSL at an airspeed of 90 KIAS. Upon landing the main rotor made contact with the tail cone assembly severing it from the fuselage of the helicopter. There was no post crash fire. The pilot and his crewmembers sustained no injuries as a result of the accident. Post accident examination of the aircraft revealed a P3 line from the engine loosened at the "b-nut" and flange fitting. Review of maintenance records revealed no discrepancies related to the accident. Weather at the time of the accident was VFR with winds 140 degrees at 4 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, under clear skies. (.4)the pilot reported that while in cruise at 700 feet AGL the helicopter yawed left, followed by a low rotor caution light being illuminated. The pilot executed an autorotation landing under dark night conditions to a flat, wet, muddy surface. During the landing the helicopter's skids began to dig in, and the helicopter began to nose over. The pilot applied aft cyclic in an effort to prevent the nose over during which the rotor blades impacted and severed the tailboom. Post-crash examination revealed 51 gallons of fuel aboard and no spreading deformation to the helicopter's skids. Further examination revealed that the 'b' nut on the pc air line from the power turbine governor to the fuel control unit was backed off about 2-3 'flats.' The engine was successfully operated in a test cell in an 'as received' condition. During subsequent engine runs, the 'b' nut was tightened and loosened to one flat with no variation in engine performance. The 'b' nut was also completely removed resulting in a stagnant start. According to the manufacturer, a breach in the pc air line will allow air pressure to bleed out and result in the fuel control unit automatically shifting to a minimum flow conditions (less than idle). The test cell conditions may or may not have duplicated the vibratory conditions in the aircraft's airframe at the time of the power loss.
As the FAA filed it
ON NOVEMBER 12, 1998, AT APPROXIMATELY 1815 EST, A BELL 206BIII HELICOPTER, N32KY RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF AN EMERGENCY AUTOROTATIVE LANDING IN A MUDDY FIELD NEAR LOUISVILLE, KY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATING UNDER NIGHT VFR, 14 CFR 91, BY A COMMERCIAL RATED PILOT AND CREWED WITH A TELEVISION REPORTER AND CAMERA OPERATOR. ACCORDING A STATEMENT GIVEN BY THE PILOT, AT APPROXIMATELY 1815 WHILE RETURNING TO THE TELEVISION STATION THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO YAW LEFT, THE ENGINE OUT LIGHT ACTIVATED, AND THE LOW ROTOR AUDIO HORN SOUNDED. THE PILOT ENTERED AN AUTORATATION FROM 1200 FEET MSL AT AN AIRSPEED OF 90 KIAS. UPON LANDING THE MAIN ROTOR MADE CONTACT WITH THE TAIL CONE ASSEMBLY SEVERING IT FROM THE FUSELAGE OF THE HELICOPTER. THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE. THE PILOT AND HIS CREWMEMBERS SUSTAINED NO INJURIES AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED A P3 LINE FROM THE ENGINE LOOSENED AT THE "B-NUT" AND FLANGE FITTING. REVIEW OF MAINTENANCE RECORDS REVEALED NO DISCREPANCIES RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT. WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS VFR WITH WINDS 140 DEGREES AT 4 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES, UNDER CLEAR SKIES. (.4)THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE IN CRUISE AT 700 FEET AGL THE HELICOPTER YAWED LEFT, FOLLOWED BY A LOW ROTOR CAUTION LIGHT BEING ILLUMINATED. THE PILOT EXECUTED AN AUTOROTATION LANDING UNDER DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS TO A FLAT, WET, MUDDY SURFACE. DURING THE LANDING THE HELICOPTER'S SKIDS BEGAN TO DIG IN, AND THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO NOSE OVER. THE PILOT APPLIED AFT CYCLIC IN AN EFFORT TO PREVENT THE NOSE OVER DURING WHICH THE ROTOR BLADES IMPACTED AND SEVERED THE TAILBOOM. POST-CRASH EXAMINATION REVEALED 51 GALLONS OF FUEL ABOARD AND NO SPREADING DEFORMATION TO THE HELICOPTER'S SKIDS. FURTHER EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE 'B' NUT ON THE PC AIR LINE FROM THE POWER TURBINE GOVERNOR TO THE FUEL CONTROL UNIT WAS BACKED OFF ABOUT 2-3 'FLATS.' THE ENGINE WAS SUCCESSFULLY OPERATED IN A TEST CELL IN AN 'AS RECEIVED' CONDITION. DURING SUBSEQUENT ENGINE RUNS, THE 'B' NUT WAS TIGHTENED AND LOOSENED TO ONE FLAT WITH NO VARIATION IN ENGINE PERFORMANCE. THE 'B' NUT WAS ALSO COMPLETELY REMOVED RESULTING IN A STAGNANT START. ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURER, A BREACH IN THE PC AIR LINE WILL ALLOW AIR PRESSURE TO BLEED OUT AND RESULT IN THE FUEL CONTROL UNIT AUTOMATICALLY SHIFTING TO A MINIMUM FLOW CONDITIONS (LESS THAN IDLE). THE TEST CELL CONDITIONS MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE DUPLICATED THE VIBRATORY CONDITIONS IN THE AIRCRAFT'S AIRFRAME AT THE TIME OF THE POWER LOSS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.