What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On October 2, 1999, at 1040 eastern standard time, an Enstrom EN-28, N602H, sustained substantial damage during an autorotational landing in a field, near Indianapolis Indiana, following a partial loss of engine power. The pilot and one passenger reported minor injuries. The personal 14 CFR part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. The pilot reported that the engine began to "pop" and the rotor RPM was dropping during the initial climb. He said he elected to attempt a turn to the takeoff location and conduct an autorotational landing. During the landing the helicopter landed hard and received substantial damage. (-23)the helicopter had just taken off from the downtown heliport, when the engine started to loose power at a 100 feet above the ground. The pilot lowered the collective and applied more power, but could not maintain rotor RPM. The pilot made a left turn back to the heliport, but could not clear the railroad tracks. He continued the left turn and made an auto rotation into a graveled parking lot under construction. The landing was hard and the helicopter received substantial damage. All of the rotor blades and the tail rotor were destroyed during the hard landing.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON OCTOBER 2, 1999, AT 1040 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, AN ENSTROM EN-28, N602H, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING AN AUTOROTATIONAL LANDING IN A FIELD, NEAR INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA, FOLLOWING A PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER REPORTED MINOR INJURIES. THE PERSONAL 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT WAS OPERATING IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS ON FILE. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE BEGAN TO "POP" AND THE ROTOR RPM WAS DROPPING DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB. HE SAID HE ELECTED TO ATTEMPT A TURN TO THE TAKEOFF LOCATION AND CONDUCT AN AUTOROTATIONAL LANDING. DURING THE LANDING THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD AND RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. (-23)THE HELICOPTER HAD JUST TAKEN OFF FROM THE DOWNTOWN HELIPORT, WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED TO LOOSE POWER AT A 100 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE PILOT LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND APPLIED MORE POWER, BUT COULD NOT MAINTAIN ROTOR RPM. THE PILOT MADE A LEFT TURN BACK TO THE HELIPORT, BUT COULD NOT CLEAR THE RAILROAD TRACKS. HE CONTINUED THE LEFT TURN AND MADE AN AUTO ROTATION INTO A GRAVELED PARKING LOT UNDER CONSTRUCTION. THE LANDING WAS HARD AND THE HELICOPTER RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. ALL OF THE ROTOR BLADES AND THE TAIL ROTOR WERE DESTROYED DURING THE HARD LANDING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.