What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On June 25, 2002, at 1410 hours pacific daylight time, a Mcdonnell Douglas 369E, N40NT, experienced a total loss of engine power during initial climb from the Ontario international airport, Ontario, California. The pilot initiated an autorotative descent during the forced landing. The helicopter touched down hard about 1/2 mile south of the airport, and it was destroyed by a post impact ground fire. The helicopter was owned, operated, and maintained by the city of Ontario police department. The pilot/police officer possessed a federal aviation administration (FAA) commercial pilot certificate. The mechanic on board, who was also a city of Ontario employee, possessed an FAA mechanic certificate with inspection authorization. Both crewmembers were seriously injured. The public-use flight was performed under 14 CFR part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated from Ontario about 1409. According to the Ontario police department, the accident occurred during commencement of a maintenance test flight, which transpired at the conclusion of a 100-hour inspection performed by the on board mechanic. The pilot indicated that seconds after taking off, engine power suddenly decreased, the helicopter yawed left, and he entered a low altitude autorotation. While descending toward the forced landing site, the pilot maneuvered to avoid wires and automobiles. With low main rotor RPM, the helicopter touched down hard on a city street. Responding fire department personnel reported aggressive use of fire retardants to suppress the fuel-fed fire, which consumed most of the cabin. The helicopter was recovered from the accident site and examined by the national transportation safety board. Components associated with the helicopter's fuselage, landing gear, flight controls, and drive train exhibited impact and/or fire damage signatures. No evidence was found of preimpact separations. The integrity of the flight control and rotor drive/control system was confirmed. The examination of the turboshaft engine revealed evidence of ingested debris and foreign objects (aka foreign object damage (FOD)) in the compressor section. All blades in the first stage compressor wheel exhibited leading and trailing edge damage. Most of the blades in stages two through six were missing. Blade fragments were observed in the compressor and outer combustion case. (-23) on June 26, 2002, at 14:00 PST a Mcdonnell Douglas 500E, (HU-369E) N40NT, experienced a total loss of engine power during initial climb from the Ontario international airport, Ontario, CA. The pilot initiated an autorotation but the aircraft touched down hard about 1/2 mile south of the airport. The aircraft sustained major damage and was destroyed by fire. The pilot and passenger received serious injuries.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON JUNE 25, 2002, AT 1410 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A MCDONNELL DOUGLAS 369E, N40NT, EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING INITIAL CLIMB FROM THE ONTARIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA. THE PILOT INITIATED AN AUTOROTATIVE DESCENT DURING THE FORCED LANDING. THE HELICOPTER TOUCHED DOWN HARD ABOUT 1/2 MILE SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT, AND IT WAS DESTROYED BY A POST IMPACT GROUND FIRE. THE HELICOPTER WAS OWNED, OPERATED, AND MAINTAINED BY THE CITY OF ONTARIO POLICE DEPARTMENT. THE PILOT/POLICE OFFICER POSSESSED A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE. THE MECHANIC ON BOARD, WHO WAS ALSO A CITY OF ONTARIO EMPLOYEE, POSSESSED AN FAA MECHANIC CERTIFICATE WITH INSPECTION AUTHORIZATION. BOTH CREWMEMBERS WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE PUBLIC-USE FLIGHT WAS PERFORMED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM ONTARIO ABOUT 1409. ACCORDING TO THE ONTARIO POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED DURING COMMENCEMENT OF A MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT, WHICH TRANSPIRED AT THE CONCLUSION OF A 100-HOUR INSPECTION PERFORMED BY THE ON BOARD MECHANIC. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT SECONDS AFTER TAKING OFF, ENGINE POWER SUDDENLY DECREASED, THE HELICOPTER YAWED LEFT, AND HE ENTERED A LOW ALTITUDE AUTOROTATION. WHILE DESCENDING TOWARD THE FORCED LANDING SITE, THE PILOT MANEUVERED TO AVOID WIRES AND AUTOMOBILES. WITH LOW MAIN ROTOR RPM, THE HELICOPTER TOUCHED DOWN HARD ON A CITY STREET. RESPONDING FIRE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL REPORTED AGGRESSIVE USE OF FIRE RETARDANTS TO SUPPRESS THE FUEL-FED FIRE, WHICH CONSUMED MOST OF THE CABIN. THE HELICOPTER WAS RECOVERED FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE AND EXAMINED BY THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD. COMPONENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE HELICOPTER'S FUSELAGE, LANDING GEAR, FLIGHT CONTROLS, AND DRIVE TRAIN EXHIBITED IMPACT AND/OR FIRE DAMAGE SIGNATURES. NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND OF PREIMPACT SEPARATIONS. THE INTEGRITY OF THE FLIGHT CONTROL AND ROTOR DRIVE/CONTROL SYSTEM WAS CONFIRMED. THE EXAMINATION OF THE TURBOSHAFT ENGINE REVEALED EVIDENCE OF INGESTED DEBRIS AND FOREIGN OBJECTS (AKA FOREIGN OBJECT DAMAGE (FOD)) IN THE COMPRESSOR SECTION. ALL BLADES IN THE FIRST STAGE COMPRESSOR WHEEL EXHIBITED LEADING AND TRAILING EDGE DAMAGE. MOST OF THE BLADES IN STAGES TWO THROUGH SIX WERE MISSING. BLADE FRAGMENTS WERE OBSERVED IN THE COMPRESSOR AND OUTER COMBUSTION CASE. (-23) ON JUNE 26, 2002, AT 14:00 PST A MCDONNELL DOUGLAS 500E, (HU-369E) N40NT, EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING INITIAL CLIMB FROM THE ONTARIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, ONTARIO, CA. THE PILOT INITIATED AN AUTOROTATION BUT THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN HARD ABOUT 1/2 MILE SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MAJOR DAMAGE AND WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.