What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19)On June 3, 2001, about 1620 hours hawaiian standard time, a MD helicopters, inc., 369D helicopter, N1109V, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Hanapepe, Hawaii. Smokey mountain helicopters, inc., was operating the helicopter under the provisions of 14 CFR part 135. The commercial pilot and three passengers were not injured. The medical evacuation flight boarded three firemen and departed Port Allen Airport at Hanapepe about 1615 en route to the eastern shore of the island for a medical emergency. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The federal aviation administration (FAA) accident coordinator interviewed the pilot. The pilot stated that the engine out warning system (light and horn) activated. He could not maintain flight and autorotated into trees. Under the supervision of the FAA accident coordinator, aviation safety investigators from MD helicopters, inc., and rolls royce allison performed an on-scene examination of the helicopter. The engine passed a vacuum leak check, and they found all lines hooked up and tight. No fuel filters exhibited any contamination and the chip detectors were clean. The engine could not be turned by hand. The engine was shipped to a rolls royce allison authorized service center in scottsdale, Arizona, for further inspection. (-23) pilot was about 5 minutes into a search & rescue flight supporting the local fire department. The engine out warning system (light and horn) came on. He lowered the collective lever half way down to correct a left yaw. He had full open throttle positioned. He beeped up manually the governor without any positive results. There were no other warnings or indications about a possible engine failure. All normal indications until the helicopter started to lose power. Pilot located a safe landing spot to land. He flared the helicopter for landing and the stinger struck the ground. The helicopter was in a slight incline, but did not roll over. Some fuel spilled out and started a fire from the hot exhaust. All occupants exited safely and helped put out the fire. Helicopter was recovered and returned to inter-island helicopter's maintenance facility for tear-down. Engine was removed and inspected by rolls-royce engines and Boeing helicopter technical rep resentative. The engine was shipped to engine repair station for teardown and further investigation.
As the FAA filed it
(.19)ON JUNE 3, 2001, ABOUT 1620 HOURS HAWAIIAN STANDARD TIME, A MD HELICOPTERS, INC., 369D HELICOPTER, N1109V, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR HANAPEPE, HAWAII. SMOKEY MOUNTAIN HELICOPTERS, INC., WAS OPERATING THE HELICOPTER UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 135. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE MEDICAL EVACUATION FLIGHT BOARDED THREE FIREMEN AND DEPARTED PORT ALLEN AIRPORT AT HANAPEPE ABOUT 1615 EN ROUTE TO THE EASTERN SHORE OF THE ISLAND FOR A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) ACCIDENT COORDINATOR INTERVIEWED THE PILOT. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ENGINE OUT WARNING SYSTEM (LIGHT AND HORN) ACTIVATED. HE COULD NOT MAINTAIN FLIGHT AND AUTOROTATED INTO TREES. UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE FAA ACCIDENT COORDINATOR, AVIATION SAFETY INVESTIGATORS FROM MD HELICOPTERS, INC., AND ROLLS ROYCE ALLISON PERFORMED AN ON-SCENE EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER. THE ENGINE PASSED A VACUUM LEAK CHECK, AND THEY FOUND ALL LINES HOOKED UP AND TIGHT. NO FUEL FILTERS EXHIBITED ANY CONTAMINATION AND THE CHIP DETECTORS WERE CLEAN. THE ENGINE COULD NOT BE TURNED BY HAND. THE ENGINE WAS SHIPPED TO A ROLLS ROYCE ALLISON AUTHORIZED SERVICE CENTER IN SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA, FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. (-23) PILOT WAS ABOUT 5 MINUTES INTO A SEARCH & RESCUE FLIGHT SUPPORTING THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE ENGINE OUT WARNING SYSTEM (LIGHT AND HORN) CAME ON. HE LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE LEVER HALF WAY DOWN TO CORRECT A LEFT YAW. HE HAD FULL OPEN THROTTLE POSITIONED. HE BEEPED UP MANUALLY THE GOVERNOR WITHOUT ANY POSITIVE RESULTS. THERE WERE NO OTHER WARNINGS OR INDICATIONS ABOUT A POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE. ALL NORMAL INDICATIONS UNTIL THE HELICOPTER STARTED TO LOSE POWER. PILOT LOCATED A SAFE LANDING SPOT TO LAND. HE FLARED THE HELICOPTER FOR LANDING AND THE STINGER STRUCK THE GROUND. THE HELICOPTER WAS IN A SLIGHT INCLINE, BUT DID NOT ROLL OVER. SOME FUEL SPILLED OUT AND STARTED A FIRE FROM THE HOT EXHAUST. ALL OCCUPANTS EXITED SAFELY AND HELPED PUT OUT THE FIRE. HELICOPTER WAS RECOVERED AND RETURNED TO INTER-ISLAND HELICOPTER'S MAINTENANCE FACILITY FOR TEAR-DOWN. ENGINE WAS REMOVED AND INSPECTED BY ROLLS-ROYCE ENGINES AND BOEING HELICOPTER TECHNICAL REP RESENTATIVE. THE ENGINE WAS SHIPPED TO ENGINE REPAIR STATION FOR TEARDOWN AND FURTHER INVESTIGATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.