What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On December 27, 2001, at 1300 central standard time, a Bell OH-58A helicopter, N76PD, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during an autorotation near El Paso, Texas. The helicopter was owned and operated by the El Paso police department, El Paso, Texas. The commercial pilot, sole occupant of the helicopter, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the public use flight. The local flight originated from the El Paso International Airport, El Paso, Texas, at 1255. According to the pilot, he departed from the airport and was in cruise at 500 feet AGL when he heard a "muffled pop." Approximately two seconds had elapsed when he heard a second muffled pop, and he immediately observed the low rotor RPM warning light illuminate and heard the low rotor warning horn alert. He entered an autorotation to a city road. While descending through 15 feet, the pilot maneuvered the helicopter in a climb to avoid an on-coming truck. Subsequently, the helicopter made contact with an unoccupied vehicle and the ground. During the impact, the vertical stabilizer separated from the helicopter. (-23) on December 27, 2001, at 1305 MST, an OH-58 helicopter, N76PD, registered to the El Paso police department was substantially damaged after an autorotation was performed after receiving a low rotor RPM indication while on a training flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The commercial pilot was not injured and the flight originated at El Paso airport at 1300 hours. (.4) the helicopter departed and was in cruise flight at 4,500 feet MSL (approximately 500 feet AGL) when the pilot heard a "muffled pop." Approximately 2 seconds had passed when the pilot heard a second muffled pop, followed by either the low rotor RPM or engine out warning horn. The pilot then entered an autorotation to a residential street. During the autorotation, the pilot maneuvered the helicopter to avoid a moving ground vehicle. Subsequently, the main rotor blades contacted trees, the helicopter landed hard, and it came to rest upright. The pilot had accumulated 865 hours in helicopters with 4 hours in the make and model of the accident helicopter, at the time of the accident. The engine was examined; its outer casing was intact and there was no evidence of a catastrophic engine failure. A pneumatic check was performed and no leaks were found. The fuel lines were examined and no loose fittings or fuel leaks were found. The engine was removed from the airframe, placed in a test cell, and a test run was performed. The engine operated within the manufacturer's specifications at idle, cruise, takeoff, and maximum power settings. The reason for the loss of engine power was not determined.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON DECEMBER 27, 2001, AT 1300 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A BELL OH-58A HELICOPTER, N76PD, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN DURING AN AUTOROTATION NEAR EL PASO, TEXAS. THE HELICOPTER WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE EL PASO POLICE DEPARTMENT, EL PASO, TEXAS. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE HELICOPTER, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE PUBLIC USE FLIGHT. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE EL PASO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, EL PASO, TEXAS, AT 1255. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE DEPARTED FROM THE AIRPORT AND WAS IN CRUISE AT 500 FEET AGL WHEN HE HEARD A "MUFFLED POP." APPROXIMATELY TWO SECONDS HAD ELAPSED WHEN HE HEARD A SECOND MUFFLED POP, AND HE IMMEDIATELY OBSERVED THE LOW ROTOR RPM WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATE AND HEARD THE LOW ROTOR WARNING HORN ALERT. HE ENTERED AN AUTOROTATION TO A CITY ROAD. WHILE DESCENDING THROUGH 15 FEET, THE PILOT MANEUVERED THE HELICOPTER IN A CLIMB TO AVOID AN ON-COMING TRUCK. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE HELICOPTER MADE CONTACT WITH AN UNOCCUPIED VEHICLE AND THE GROUND. DURING THE IMPACT, THE VERTICAL STABILIZER SEPARATED FROM THE HELICOPTER. (-23) ON DECEMBER 27, 2001, AT 1305 MST, AN OH-58 HELICOPTER, N76PD, REGISTERED TO THE EL PASO POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AFTER AN AUTOROTATION WAS PERFORMED AFTER RECEIVING A LOW ROTOR RPM INDICATION WHILE ON A TRAINING FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS NOT INJURED AND THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT EL PASO AIRPORT AT 1300 HOURS. (.4) THE HELICOPTER DEPARTED AND WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 4,500 FEET MSL (APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET AGL) WHEN THE PILOT HEARD A "MUFFLED POP." APPROXIMATELY 2 SECONDS HAD PASSED WHEN THE PILOT HEARD A SECOND MUFFLED POP, FOLLOWED BY EITHER THE LOW ROTOR RPM OR ENGINE OUT WARNING HORN. THE PILOT THEN ENTERED AN AUTOROTATION TO A RESIDENTIAL STREET. DURING THE AUTOROTATION, THE PILOT MANEUVERED THE HELICOPTER TO AVOID A MOVING GROUND VEHICLE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED TREES, THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD, AND IT CAME TO REST UPRIGHT. THE PILOT HAD ACCUMULATED 865 HOURS IN HELICOPTERS WITH 4 HOURS IN THE MAKE AND MODEL OF THE ACCIDENT HELICOPTER, AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE ENGINE WAS EXAMINED; ITS OUTER CASING WAS INTACT AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. A PNEUMATIC CHECK WAS PERFORMED AND NO LEAKS WERE FOUND. THE FUEL LINES WERE EXAMINED AND NO LOOSE FITTINGS OR FUEL LEAKS WERE FOUND. THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED FROM THE AIRFRAME, PLACED IN A TEST CELL, AND A TEST RUN WAS PERFORMED. THE ENGINE OPERATED WITHIN THE MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS AT IDLE, CRUISE, TAKEOFF, AND MAXIMUM POWER SETTINGS. THE REASON FOR THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WAS NOT DETERMINED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.