What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Chena river aviation air taxi (1998 Robinson R-22 helicopter) crashed while en route, the pilot and passenger on board were not injured, the acft has substantial damage, other circumstances are unknown. (.19)on April 1, 1999, about 1030 Alaska standard time, a Robinson R-22 helicopter, N8367F, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing about 38 miles south of Fairbanks, Alaska. The commercial pilot and sole passanger were not injured. The helicopter was operated by Chena river aviation under 14CFR part 135 conducting wolf captures for the state of Alaska, department of fish and game. The flight departed the Chena Marina Airport in Fairbanks at 0930. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and a company VFR flight plan was filed. The pilot told the NTSB investigator-in-charge (iic) during a telephone interview on April 1, that while turning downwind at 30 feet AGL to capture a wolf, he noticed the rotor and engine RPM decaying. He attempted to lower the collective, disengage the engine speed governor, and increase the throt tle, but the rotor speed continued to decay. The pilot said the low rotor speed warning horn activated during his descent, and he made a forced landing to a clearing. The helicopter bounced, and rolled onto its side. The pilot estimated seven to ten gallons of fuel remained in the fuel tanks at the time of the accident. (-23) while maneuvering along a ridgeline during a wolf capture operation, the pilot encountered a low rotor RPM situation. He was moving at approx. 30 KTS airspeed and also in a 30 kt. Downwind condition. He attempted to recover by lowering collective pitch and rolling on maximum throttle. The aircraft did not respond so he elected to land straight ahead in a field. The aircraft bounced, then rolled onto its left side. (.4) the helicopter pilot turned downwind at 30 feet above the ground. The winds were between 15 knots and 30 knots. The main rotor RPM decayed, and the pilot was unable to regain RPM by lowering the collective, disengaging the engine speed governor, and increasing the throttle. During the ensuing forced landing, the helicopter bounced and rolled onto its side. The pilot stated that he did not have tail rotor authority at the low rotor RPM wh en the helicopter bounced. The engine was operated on a test stand, and exceeded the minimum power requirements for a serviceable engine. No anomalies were noted with the engine, governor, or governor controller.
As the FAA filed it
CHENA RIVER AVIATION AIR TAXI (1998 ROBINSON R-22 HELICOPTER) CRASHED WHILE EN ROUTE, THE PILOT AND PASSENGER ON BOARD WERE NOT INJURED, THE ACFT HAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.19)ON APRIL 1, 1999, ABOUT 1030 ALASKA STANDARD TIME, A ROBINSON R-22 HELICOPTER, N8367F, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A FORCED LANDING ABOUT 38 MILES SOUTH OF FAIRBANKS, ALASKA. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND SOLE PASSANGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE HELICOPTER WAS OPERATED BY CHENA RIVER AVIATION UNDER 14CFR PART 135 CONDUCTING WOLF CAPTURES FOR THE STATE OF ALASKA, DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED THE CHENA MARINA AIRPORT IN FAIRBANKS AT 0930. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND A COMPANY VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT TOLD THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE (IIC) DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW ON APRIL 1, THAT WHILE TURNING DOWNWIND AT 30 FEET AGL TO CAPTURE A WOLF, HE NOTICED THE ROTOR AND ENGINE RPM DECAYING. HE ATTEMPTED TO LOWER THE COLLECTIVE, DISENGAGE THE ENGINE SPEED GOVERNOR, AND INCREASE THE THROT TLE, BUT THE ROTOR SPEED CONTINUED TO DECAY. THE PILOT SAID THE LOW ROTOR SPEED WARNING HORN ACTIVATED DURING HIS DESCENT, AND HE MADE A FORCED LANDING TO A CLEARING. THE HELICOPTER BOUNCED, AND ROLLED ONTO ITS SIDE. THE PILOT ESTIMATED SEVEN TO TEN GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINED IN THE FUEL TANKS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. (-23) WHILE MANEUVERING ALONG A RIDGELINE DURING A WOLF CAPTURE OPERATION, THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED A LOW ROTOR RPM SITUATION. HE WAS MOVING AT APPROX. 30 KTS AIRSPEED AND ALSO IN A 30 KT. DOWNWIND CONDITION. HE ATTEMPTED TO RECOVER BY LOWERING COLLECTIVE PITCH AND ROLLING ON MAXIMUM THROTTLE. THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT RESPOND SO HE ELECTED TO LAND STRAIGHT AHEAD IN A FIELD. THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED, THEN ROLLED ONTO ITS LEFT SIDE. (.4) THE HELICOPTER PILOT TURNED DOWNWIND AT 30 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE WINDS WERE BETWEEN 15 KNOTS AND 30 KNOTS. THE MAIN ROTOR RPM DECAYED, AND THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN RPM BY LOWERING THE COLLECTIVE, DISENGAGING THE ENGINE SPEED GOVERNOR, AND INCREASING THE THROTTLE. DURING THE ENSUING FORCED LANDING, THE HELICOPTER BOUNCED AND ROLLED ONTO ITS SIDE. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT HAVE TAIL ROTOR AUTHORITY AT THE LOW ROTOR RPM WH EN THE HELICOPTER BOUNCED. THE ENGINE WAS OPERATED ON A TEST STAND, AND EXCEEDED THE MINIMUM POWER REQUIREMENTS FOR A SERVICEABLE ENGINE. NO ANOMALIES WERE NOTED WITH THE ENGINE, GOVERNOR, OR GOVERNOR CONTROLLER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.