What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On February 9, 1999, about 1515 eastern standard time, a Hughes 369D, N5070J, operated by agrotors incorporated, was substantially damaged during a forced landing from a high hover near hermanie, Pennsylvania. The certificated commercial pilot and a passenger were not injured. A second passenger that was standing on a landing skid, strapped in a harness, received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the aerial inspection flight, conducted under 14 CFR part 91. The flight originated from latrobe, Pennsylvania. The pilot of the helicopter stated in a telephone interview that he was performing aerial inspections of powerlines from a hover, 65-75 feet above the ground, when the engine lost partial power. The pilot rotated the helicopter 270 degrees to avoid obstacles and entered a decent. The rear main skids touched down first, then the helicopter came to rest in a cleared area on down-sloping terrain. During the touchdown, three of the rotor blades struck the tail boom. The tail boom separated to the right and was found about 100 feet from the main wreckage. Miscellaneous debris was also found as FAR away as 300 feet from the main wreckage, including the tail rotor driveshaft. Examination of the power control rigging and flight controls revealed no abnormalities. The allison engine and its fuel control were removed for further inspection. (.4) the helicopter was positioning next to a powerline tower, in an out of ground effect hover. During the hover, the engine out warning horn sounded, alerting the pilot of a possible power loss. The pilot backed the helicopter away from the tower, lowered the collective, and turned to the left to avoid the tower. Approximately 10-15 feet above the ground, the engine lost additional power, and descended rapidly. Just prior to impact, the pilot applied maximum collective, and the helicopter landed hard. After landing, the engine was shut down by the pilot. The engine was removed and accelerated in a test cell from 70 percent to 95 percent torque. No discrepancies were noted, and power calibrations were computed. The computed power calibrations revealed that the engine was producing 12 percent more than rated power. The fuel control unit was removed from the engine, inspected, and tested. No conditions were found that would have prohibited the unit from operatin g normally at the time of the incident.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON FEBRUARY 9, 1999, ABOUT 1515 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A HUGHES 369D, N5070J, OPERATED BY AGROTORS INCORPORATED, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING FROM A HIGH HOVER NEAR HERMANIE, PENNSYLVANIA. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT AND A PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. A SECOND PASSENGER THAT WAS STANDING ON A LANDING SKID, STRAPPED IN A HARNESS, RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE AERIAL INSPECTION FLIGHT, CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM LATROBE, PENNSYLVANIA. THE PILOT OF THE HELICOPTER STATED IN A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW THAT HE WAS PERFORMING AERIAL INSPECTIONS OF POWERLINES FROM A HOVER, 65-75 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, WHEN THE ENGINE LOST PARTIAL POWER. THE PILOT ROTATED THE HELICOPTER 270 DEGREES TO AVOID OBSTACLES AND ENTERED A DECENT. THE REAR MAIN SKIDS TOUCHED DOWN FIRST, THEN THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST IN A CLEARED AREA ON DOWN-SLOPING TERRAIN. DURING THE TOUCHDOWN, THREE OF THE ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE TAIL BOOM. THE TAIL BOOM SEPARATED TO THE RIGHT AND WAS FOUND ABOUT 100 FEET FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE. MISCELLANEOUS DEBRIS WAS ALSO FOUND AS FAR AWAY AS 300 FEET FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE, INCLUDING THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVESHAFT. EXAMINATION OF THE POWER CONTROL RIGGING AND FLIGHT CONTROLS REVEALED NO ABNORMALITIES. THE ALLISON ENGINE AND ITS FUEL CONTROL WERE REMOVED FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. (.4) THE HELICOPTER WAS POSITIONING NEXT TO A POWERLINE TOWER, IN AN OUT OF GROUND EFFECT HOVER. DURING THE HOVER, THE ENGINE OUT WARNING HORN SOUNDED, ALERTING THE PILOT OF A POSSIBLE POWER LOSS. THE PILOT BACKED THE HELICOPTER AWAY FROM THE TOWER, LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE, AND TURNED TO THE LEFT TO AVOID THE TOWER. APPROXIMATELY 10-15 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE ENGINE LOST ADDITIONAL POWER, AND DESCENDED RAPIDLY. JUST PRIOR TO IMPACT, THE PILOT APPLIED MAXIMUM COLLECTIVE, AND THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD. AFTER LANDING, THE ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN BY THE PILOT. THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED AND ACCELERATED IN A TEST CELL FROM 70 PERCENT TO 95 PERCENT TORQUE. NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED, AND POWER CALIBRATIONS WERE COMPUTED. THE COMPUTED POWER CALIBRATIONS REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE WAS PRODUCING 12 PERCENT MORE THAN RATED POWER. THE FUEL CONTROL UNIT WAS REMOVED FROM THE ENGINE, INSPECTED, AND TESTED. NO CONDITIONS WERE FOUND THAT WOULD HAVE PROHIBITED THE UNIT FROM OPERATIN G NORMALLY AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.