What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) N137E was on a flight from omans heliport (pvt 6M18) to dupont-lapeer airport (D95), lapeer Michigan for the purpose of tracking and balancing rotor blades after maintenance. The helicopter crashed enroute to lapeer. Witnesses stated they heard the engine quit and saw the helicopter crash in the woods. Pilot was killed. The pilot did not have a pilots license or current medical. According to relatives he flew helicopters in the korean war. The pilot also performed maintenance on the helicopter. He did not have a mechanics certificate. The helicopter owner does not have a helicopter rating on his pilots certificate. No logs books were available to confirm pilot times or maintenance performed on helicopter. Suspect lack of fuel but could not prove due to lack of records. (.19) on October 3, 2001, about 1530 eastern daylight time, an Enstrom F-28A, N137E, sustained substantial damage when it impacted trees and terrain following an in-flight loss of engine power near attica, Michigan. The personal flight was operating under 14 CFR part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was on file. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The flight originated from omans heliport, near almont, Michigan, about 1520, and was enroute to dupont-lapeer airport, near lapeer, Michigan, at the time of the accident. A witness, who was a pilot, stated, "low rotor - r.p.m. low - power[.] Observed flying due north from p.t. auto sales." Another witness stated that the aircraft was heading northwest. The witness said that the aircraft rolled to the left and nosed down. An on-scene investigation was conducted. The helicopter was found in a wooded area. The helicopter came to rest on the nose of its cabin assembly. The front of the cabin assembly was crushed aft. The aircraft's GPS was turned on. The GPS indicated latitude 42 degrees 40.016 minutes n and latitude 82 degrees 37.635 minutes w. a section of the tail rotor guard was found suspended from a tree branch. The three rotor blades were found attached to the hub. The tail rotor assembly was found intact. Continuity was established to the flight control surfaces. Control continuity was established to the engine. The engine produced a thumb compression at all cylinders. The magnetos produced spark when the engine was rotated with the master switch in the on position. The fuel servo screen was found clean. A liquid was found exiting the unplugged servo screen when the electric boost pump was turned on. About an ounce of a blue colored fluid was recovered from the fuel strainer. Both fuel tanks were found compromised. A fueling log, marked "100 ll", was found at the departure heliport. A fuel log entry dated October 3, 2001, had a "before" entry that stated, "38.6" and its "after" entry stated, "69.7". At 1553, the pontiac-oakland airport, near pontiac, Michigan, weather was: wind 230 degrees at 13 knots gusting to 22 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition few 28,000 feet; temperature 25 degrees c, dew point 8 degrees c, altimeter 29.79 inches of mercury.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) N137E WAS ON A FLIGHT FROM OMANS HELIPORT (PVT 6M18) TO DUPONT-LAPEER AIRPORT (D95), LAPEER MICHIGAN FOR THE PURPOSE OF TRACKING AND BALANCING ROTOR BLADES AFTER MAINTENANCE. THE HELICOPTER CRASHED ENROUTE TO LAPEER. WITNESSES STATED THEY HEARD THE ENGINE QUIT AND SAW THE HELICOPTER CRASH IN THE WOODS. PILOT WAS KILLED. THE PILOT DID NOT HAVE A PILOTS LICENSE OR CURRENT MEDICAL. ACCORDING TO RELATIVES HE FLEW HELICOPTERS IN THE KOREAN WAR. THE PILOT ALSO PERFORMED MAINTENANCE ON THE HELICOPTER. HE DID NOT HAVE A MECHANICS CERTIFICATE. THE HELICOPTER OWNER DOES NOT HAVE A HELICOPTER RATING ON HIS PILOTS CERTIFICATE. NO LOGS BOOKS WERE AVAILABLE TO CONFIRM PILOT TIMES OR MAINTENANCE PERFORMED ON HELICOPTER. SUSPECT LACK OF FUEL BUT COULD NOT PROVE DUE TO LACK OF RECORDS. (.19) ON OCTOBER 3, 2001, ABOUT 1530 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN ENSTROM F-28A, N137E, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT IMPACTED TREES AND TERRAIN FOLLOWING AN IN-FLIGHT LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR ATTICA, MICHIGAN. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATING UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS ON FILE. THE PILOT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM OMANS HELIPORT, NEAR ALMONT, MICHIGAN, ABOUT 1520, AND WAS ENROUTE TO DUPONT-LAPEER AIRPORT, NEAR LAPEER, MICHIGAN, AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. A WITNESS, WHO WAS A PILOT, STATED, "LOW ROTOR - R.P.M. LOW - POWER[.] OBSERVED FLYING DUE NORTH FROM P.T. AUTO SALES." ANOTHER WITNESS STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS HEADING NORTHWEST. THE WITNESS SAID THAT THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED TO THE LEFT AND NOSED DOWN. AN ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION WAS CONDUCTED. THE HELICOPTER WAS FOUND IN A WOODED AREA. THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST ON THE NOSE OF ITS CABIN ASSEMBLY. THE FRONT OF THE CABIN ASSEMBLY WAS CRUSHED AFT. THE AIRCRAFT'S GPS WAS TURNED ON. THE GPS INDICATED LATITUDE 42 DEGREES 40.016 MINUTES N AND LATITUDE 82 DEGREES 37.635 MINUTES W. A SECTION OF THE TAIL ROTOR GUARD WAS FOUND SUSPENDED FROM A TREE BRANCH. THE THREE ROTOR BLADES WERE FOUND ATTACHED TO THE HUB. THE TAIL ROTOR ASSEMBLY WAS FOUND INTACT. CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED TO THE FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES. CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED TO THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE PRODUCED A THUMB COMPRESSION AT ALL CYLINDERS. THE MAGNETOS PRODUCED SPARK WHEN THE ENGINE WAS ROTATED WITH THE MASTER SWITCH IN THE ON POSITION. THE FUEL SERVO SCREEN WAS FOUND CLEAN. A LIQUID WAS FOUND EXITING THE UNPLUGGED SERVO SCREEN WHEN THE ELECTRIC BOOST PUMP WAS TURNED ON. ABOUT AN OUNCE OF A BLUE COLORED FLUID WAS RECOVERED FROM THE FUEL STRAINER. BOTH FUEL TANKS WERE FOUND COMPROMISED. A FUELING LOG, MARKED "100 LL", WAS FOUND AT THE DEPARTURE HELIPORT. A FUEL LOG ENTRY DATED OCTOBER 3, 2001, HAD A "BEFORE" ENTRY THAT STATED, "38.6" AND ITS "AFTER" ENTRY STATED, "69.7". AT 1553, THE PONTIAC-OAKLAND AIRPORT, NEAR PONTIAC, MICHIGAN, WEATHER WAS: WIND 230 DEGREES AT 13 KNOTS GUSTING TO 22 KNOTS; VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES; SKY CONDITION FEW 28,000 FEET; TEMPERATURE 25 DEGREES C, DEW POINT 8 DEGREES C, ALTIMETER 29.79 INCHES OF MERCURY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.