What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19)On April 23, 2001, at 1430 hours mountain standard time, a Bell BHT-206-L3, N215M, lost engine power and made a forced autorotative landing in desert terrain east of willcox, Arizona. The helicopter sustained substantial damage; however, neither the certificated commercial pilot nor his two crewmembers were injured. Critical air medicine, inc., was operating the helicopter as a non-revenue business flight under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 when the accident occurred. The flight had originated from tucson international airport, tucson, Arizona, about 1400, and was scheduled to terminate at the northern cochise community hospital in willcox. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a company VFR flight plan had been filed. According to the pilot, the helicopter was in cruise flight about 500 feet AGL and about 20 miles west of willcox, when the engine quit completely. The pilot turned to enter an autorotation glide into the winds; however, the approach was short of the intended point of landing, the tail boom struck a mesquite tree, and the helicopter landed hard. A postaccident inspection revealed that the skids were spread, the windscreen was broken, and the tail boom was severed. Both main rotor blades showed evidence of structural separation that began about 3 feet from the blade grips and extended outboard to the blade tips. Weather in tucson was reported as clear with a surface temperature of 91 degrees fahrenheit. The turbine-powered helicopter was not equipped with an engine auto relight system. (-23)pilot reported failure while making a turn to observe wildlife enroute to Wilcox AZ. After delivering patient to tucson medical center tucson AZ. Pilot claimed he began autorotation and struck a tree with the tail rotor causing the rotor to strike the tail boom severing the boom in three places and causing substantial damage to the drive system and the skids. The evidence at the scene does not support this story. The tailrotor actually struck the ground 17 feet from the tree causing the tailboom to fail allowing the rotor to strike the tail rotor, the helicopter then bounced into the tree. It apprears that the engine was making power when the rotor struck the tailboom due to the amount of damage to the airframe.
As the FAA filed it
(.19)ON APRIL 23, 2001, AT 1430 HOURS MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A BELL BHT-206-L3, N215M, LOST ENGINE POWER AND MADE A FORCED AUTOROTATIVE LANDING IN DESERT TERRAIN EAST OF WILLCOX, ARIZONA. THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE; HOWEVER, NEITHER THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT NOR HIS TWO CREWMEMBERS WERE INJURED. CRITICAL AIR MEDICINE, INC., WAS OPERATING THE HELICOPTER AS A NON-REVENUE BUSINESS FLIGHT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE FLIGHT HAD ORIGINATED FROM TUCSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, TUCSON, ARIZONA, ABOUT 1400, AND WAS SCHEDULED TO TERMINATE AT THE NORTHERN COCHISE COMMUNITY HOSPITAL IN WILLCOX. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND A COMPANY VFR FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE HELICOPTER WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT ABOUT 500 FEET AGL AND ABOUT 20 MILES WEST OF WILLCOX, WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT COMPLETELY. THE PILOT TURNED TO ENTER AN AUTOROTATION GLIDE INTO THE WINDS; HOWEVER, THE APPROACH WAS SHORT OF THE INTENDED POINT OF LANDING, THE TAIL BOOM STRUCK A MESQUITE TREE, AND THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD. A POSTACCIDENT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE SKIDS WERE SPREAD, THE WINDSCREEN WAS BROKEN, AND THE TAIL BOOM WAS SEVERED. BOTH MAIN ROTOR BLADES SHOWED EVIDENCE OF STRUCTURAL SEPARATION THAT BEGAN ABOUT 3 FEET FROM THE BLADE GRIPS AND EXTENDED OUTBOARD TO THE BLADE TIPS. WEATHER IN TUCSON WAS REPORTED AS CLEAR WITH A SURFACE TEMPERATURE OF 91 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. THE TURBINE-POWERED HELICOPTER WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AN ENGINE AUTO RELIGHT SYSTEM. (-23)PILOT REPORTED FAILURE WHILE MAKING A TURN TO OBSERVE WILDLIFE ENROUTE TO WILCOX AZ. AFTER DELIVERING PATIENT TO TUCSON MEDICAL CENTER TUCSON AZ. PILOT CLAIMED HE BEGAN AUTOROTATION AND STRUCK A TREE WITH THE TAIL ROTOR CAUSING THE ROTOR TO STRIKE THE TAIL BOOM SEVERING THE BOOM IN THREE PLACES AND CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE DRIVE SYSTEM AND THE SKIDS. THE EVIDENCE AT THE SCENE DOES NOT SUPPORT THIS STORY. THE TAILROTOR ACTUALLY STRUCK THE GROUND 17 FEET FROM THE TREE CAUSING THE TAILBOOM TO FAIL ALLOWING THE ROTOR TO STRIKE THE TAIL ROTOR, THE HELICOPTER THEN BOUNCED INTO THE TREE. IT APPREARS THAT THE ENGINE WAS MAKING POWER WHEN THE ROTOR STRUCK THE TAILBOOM DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.