What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4) The homebuilt helicopter was in cruise flight at 70 knots approximately 600 feet above ground level (AGL) when the pilot heard a loud report from behind the cockpit, felt the helicopter yaw, and thought the tail rotor had departed the helicopter. After he entered autorotation, he realized that he still had tail rotor authority. During the descent, the engine was running smoothly at idle, and he chose to continue the autorotation at idle power. The helicopter touched down in a field. At the end of the ground run, the skids became entangled in the soybean crop and the helicopter rolled over. The pilot reported that his post-accident examination of the helicopter revealed he had left a spark plug wire unsecured after a recent inspection, and that he was sure the loose wire caused the interruption in power and the adverse yaw during the flight. He said there were no other mechanical deficiencies with the helicopter. The national transportation safety board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows. The pilot/owner's inadequate installation of an ignition lead that resulted ina partial loss of engine power and forced landing to unsuitable terrain. A factor in the accident was the soybean crop in the forced landing site. (-23) see attached; no attached narrative.
As the FAA filed it
(.4) THE HOMEBUILT HELICOPTER WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 70 KNOTS APPROXIMATELY 600 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) WHEN THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD REPORT FROM BEHIND THE COCKPIT, FELT THE HELICOPTER YAW, AND THOUGHT THE TAIL ROTOR HAD DEPARTED THE HELICOPTER. AFTER HE ENTERED AUTOROTATION, HE REALIZED THAT HE STILL HAD TAIL ROTOR AUTHORITY. DURING THE DESCENT, THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING SMOOTHLY AT IDLE, AND HE CHOSE TO CONTINUE THE AUTOROTATION AT IDLE POWER. THE HELICOPTER TOUCHED DOWN IN A FIELD. AT THE END OF THE GROUND RUN, THE SKIDS BECAME ENTANGLED IN THE SOYBEAN CROP AND THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HIS POST-ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER REVEALED HE HAD LEFT A SPARK PLUG WIRE UNSECURED AFTER A RECENT INSPECTION, AND THAT HE WAS SURE THE LOOSE WIRE CAUSED THE INTERRUPTION IN POWER AND THE ADVERSE YAW DURING THE FLIGHT. HE SAID THERE WERE NO OTHER MECHANICAL DEFICIENCIES WITH THE HELICOPTER. THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD DETERMINES THE PROBABLE CAUSE(S) OF THIS ACCIDENT AS FOLLOWS. THE PILOT/OWNER'S INADEQUATE INSTALLATION OF AN IGNITION LEAD THAT RESULTED INA PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND FORCED LANDING TO UNSUITABLE TERRAIN. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE SOYBEAN CROP IN THE FORCED LANDING SITE. (-23) SEE ATTACHED; NO ATTACHED NARRATIVE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.