What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) While performing a maintenance flight for blade tracking, flying at approximately 100 to 150 ft AGL airspeed 60 knots the engine suddenly quit. Pilot entered autorotation and landed in a field of tall grass. As aircraft began to nose over pilot pulled back on cyclic. Main rotor blades severed tail boom. Investigation discovered that with the master power switch on, the fuel quantity indicator indicated 50 lbs of fuel and the "low fuel" warning light was not on. Further investigation determined that the low fuel warning light did press to test good and when the leads were shorted at the fuel quantity transmitter the light did come on. All other fuel quantity indicator components checked good. The fuel quantity probe appears to have momentarily stuck indicating 50 lbs of fuel and prevented the low fuel warning light from operating correctly. A safety recommendation will be made to incorporate the military fuel burn rate charts to the HU-369A AFM.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) WHILE PERFORMING A MAINTENANCE FLIGHT FOR BLADE TRACKING, FLYING AT APPROXIMATELY 100 TO 150 FT AGL AIRSPEED 60 KNOTS THE ENGINE SUDDENLY QUIT. PILOT ENTERED AUTOROTATION AND LANDED IN A FIELD OF TALL GRASS. AS AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO NOSE OVER PILOT PULLED BACK ON CYCLIC. MAIN ROTOR BLADES SEVERED TAIL BOOM. INVESTIGATION DISCOVERED THAT WITH THE MASTER POWER SWITCH ON, THE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATOR INDICATED 50 LBS OF FUEL AND THE "LOW FUEL" WARNING LIGHT WAS NOT ON. FURTHER INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THAT THE LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHT DID PRESS TO TEST GOOD AND WHEN THE LEADS WERE SHORTED AT THE FUEL QUANTITY TRANSMITTER THE LIGHT DID COME ON. ALL OTHER FUEL QUANTITY INDICATOR COMPONENTS CHECKED GOOD. THE FUEL QUANTITY PROBE APPEARS TO HAVE MOMENTARILY STUCK INDICATING 50 LBS OF FUEL AND PREVENTED THE LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHT FROM OPERATING CORRECTLY. A SAFETY RECOMMENDATION WILL BE MADE TO INCORPORATE THE MILITARY FUEL BURN RATE CHARTS TO THE HU-369A AFM.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.