What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On April 6, 1999, approximately 1730 pacific daylight time, a main rotor blade of an Enstrom F-28-C helicopter, N51770, impacted the aircraft's tail boom during an emergency landing near Pendleton, Oregon. The aircraft, which was owned and operated by general aircraft services, sustained substantial damafe but he commercial pilot was not injured. No flight plan had been filed for the VFR 14 CFR part 137 aerial application flight, and there was no report of an ELT activation. According to the pilot, he was climbing out from the landing site after refueling the aircraft, when the engine stopped producing power. He attmepted to autorotate to a landing, but hit hard enough that a main rotor blade flexed downward and impacted the tail boom. It was later determined that there was water in both the aircraft's fuel tank and in the barrel from which the aircraft had been refueled . (-23) see attached narrative sheet.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON APRIL 6, 1999, APPROXIMATELY 1730 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A MAIN ROTOR BLADE OF AN ENSTROM F-28-C HELICOPTER, N51770, IMPACTED THE AIRCRAFT'S TAIL BOOM DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING NEAR PENDLETON, OREGON. THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY GENERAL AIRCRAFT SERVICES, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAFE BUT HE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE VFR 14 CFR PART 137 AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT, AND THERE WAS NO REPORT OF AN ELT ACTIVATION. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE WAS CLIMBING OUT FROM THE LANDING SITE AFTER REFUELING THE AIRCRAFT, WHEN THE ENGINE STOPPED PRODUCING POWER. HE ATTMEPTED TO AUTOROTATE TO A LANDING, BUT HIT HARD ENOUGH THAT A MAIN ROTOR BLADE FLEXED DOWNWARD AND IMPACTED THE TAIL BOOM. IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS WATER IN BOTH THE AIRCRAFT'S FUEL TANK AND IN THE BARREL FROM WHICH THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN REFUELED . (-23) SEE ATTACHED NARRATIVE SHEET.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.