What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Notified of accident at approxiamtely 1400 hours on 03/24/00. Traveled from airframe components in garden city, GA to Springfield,GA. The crash site was off SR21 approximately 5 miles to the west on puseculum road. Latitude 32.23.49 longitude 81.23.47. Upon arrival at the scene the helicopter was sitting upright but had substantial damage to the landing gear and engine and cain mounting systems. Witness statements and pilot statement indicate that helicopter was positioning to pick up another load of fertilizer when the pilot thought he snagged the bucket, he released the bucket and there appeared to be a compressor stall and was loosing power quickly. The pilot moved the helicopter forward away from the load truck and attempted a autrotation and had a hard landing. The main rotor blades struck pine trees. Upon investigation of the aircraft the fuel gauge read zero with the power on and only residual fuel was found in the fuel tanks and fule lines to the engine.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) NOTIFIED OF ACCIDENT AT APPROXIAMTELY 1400 HOURS ON 03/24/00. TRAVELED FROM AIRFRAME COMPONENTS IN GARDEN CITY, GA TO SPRINGFIELD,GA. THE CRASH SITE WAS OFF SR21 APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES TO THE WEST ON PUSECULUM ROAD. LATITUDE 32.23.49 LONGITUDE 81.23.47. UPON ARRIVAL AT THE SCENE THE HELICOPTER WAS SITTING UPRIGHT BUT HAD SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LANDING GEAR AND ENGINE AND CAIN MOUNTING SYSTEMS. WITNESS STATEMENTS AND PILOT STATEMENT INDICATE THAT HELICOPTER WAS POSITIONING TO PICK UP ANOTHER LOAD OF FERTILIZER WHEN THE PILOT THOUGHT HE SNAGGED THE BUCKET, HE RELEASED THE BUCKET AND THERE APPEARED TO BE A COMPRESSOR STALL AND WAS LOOSING POWER QUICKLY. THE PILOT MOVED THE HELICOPTER FORWARD AWAY FROM THE LOAD TRUCK AND ATTEMPTED A AUTROTATION AND HAD A HARD LANDING. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK PINE TREES. UPON INVESTIGATION OF THE AIRCRAFT THE FUEL GAUGE READ ZERO WITH THE POWER ON AND ONLY RESIDUAL FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL TANKS AND FULE LINES TO THE ENGINE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.