What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On July 5, 2001, at 1701 hours pacific daylight time, a Bell 47D-1, N64580, experienced a rough running engine on short final approach and entered an autorotation to the airport at Riverside, California. The helicopter made a hard landing and sustained substantial damage. Zemlock helicopters was operating the helicopter under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91. The commercial pilot and one passenger were not injured. The personal flight departed chino, California, about 1630. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The federal aviation administration accident coordinator interviewed the pilot. The pilot said he entered the landing pattern and completed two uneventful patterns. During the third approach, the engine began to run rough. The pilot saw a needle split with the engine needle falling below rotor RPM. He attempted to increase engine speed, but the engine did not respond. The pilot completed an autorotation that terminated in a hard landing. The engine continued to run rough and the pilot shut it down. Both main rotor blades exhibited leading edge damage to their tips. The tail rotor drive shortshaft was on the ground beneath the f uselage. The accident coordinator observed scuff marks on the shortshaft and the structure below the shortshaft. (-23) during approach to practice pad at ral the helicopter engine developed loss of power and rough operation. Autorotation to dirt field was accomplished with subsequent damage to both rotor blades, tail rotor drive shaft and tail boom. Investigation showed crankshaft broken at #2 throw.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON JULY 5, 2001, AT 1701 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL 47D-1, N64580, EXPERIENCED A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE ON SHORT FINAL APPROACH AND ENTERED AN AUTOROTATION TO THE AIRPORT AT RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA. THE HELICOPTER MADE A HARD LANDING AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. ZEMLOCK HELICOPTERS WAS OPERATING THE HELICOPTER UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT DEPARTED CHINO, CALIFORNIA, ABOUT 1630. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION ACCIDENT COORDINATOR INTERVIEWED THE PILOT. THE PILOT SAID HE ENTERED THE LANDING PATTERN AND COMPLETED TWO UNEVENTFUL PATTERNS. DURING THE THIRD APPROACH, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. THE PILOT SAW A NEEDLE SPLIT WITH THE ENGINE NEEDLE FALLING BELOW ROTOR RPM. HE ATTEMPTED TO INCREASE ENGINE SPEED, BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND. THE PILOT COMPLETED AN AUTOROTATION THAT TERMINATED IN A HARD LANDING. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN ROUGH AND THE PILOT SHUT IT DOWN. BOTH MAIN ROTOR BLADES EXHIBITED LEADING EDGE DAMAGE TO THEIR TIPS. THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHORTSHAFT WAS ON THE GROUND BENEATH THE F USELAGE. THE ACCIDENT COORDINATOR OBSERVED SCUFF MARKS ON THE SHORTSHAFT AND THE STRUCTURE BELOW THE SHORTSHAFT. (-23) DURING APPROACH TO PRACTICE PAD AT RAL THE HELICOPTER ENGINE DEVELOPED LOSS OF POWER AND ROUGH OPERATION. AUTOROTATION TO DIRT FIELD WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE TO BOTH ROTOR BLADES, TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT AND TAIL BOOM. INVESTIGATION SHOWED CRANKSHAFT BROKEN AT #2 THROW.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N64580 · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.