What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On July 24, 2002, approximately 1415 local time, N60PH was traveling enroute Seaside, Oregon from chelham, Oregon. The pilot stated that he was at 2500 feet asl at 110 mph when his pilot windshield exploded. Partial fragments blew into the pilot and the remaining framents blew outwards. He then lost control of the helicopter, going into a right hand spin. He regained control about 500 AGL, landing at the closest field. Point of landing is near elsie, Oregon. Preliminary investigation revealed that the wire cutter installed on top of the cabin had been struck by the main rotor blades. Also, the wire cutter base mount had been shifted by evidence of the potting and paint cracking on the edge of the mount. The wire cutter was bent in the left direction following the direction of the main rotor blades. The co-pilots windshield was also broken at the top of the windshield next to the wire cutter. The windshield piece forced inward as if the wire cutter base had shifted and forced the windscreen to break inward. Both VOR antennas mounted on top of the cabin next to and right behind the wire cutter are broken off at the base mount. Inspection of the pilots windshield showed no debris to indicate a bird or FOD strike. Retrieval of the remaining pieces visually shows no impact damage. The top window frame is slightly deformed upwards as if the wire cutter, when struck by the blades, had pulled the frame in the upward direction, giving the impression of the pilots window being broken by the movement of the wire cutter when struck by the main rotor blades. Inspection of the main rotor blades show a gouge at the same distance from the main gear box main rotor shaft to the wire cutter position giving the indication of being gouged by the wire cutter. Secondary indications area on the main rotor shaft showing signs of being struck by the main rotor droop stop strike plate by the bare metal on the strick plate and the transference of paint to the rotor shaft. Also, the main gearbox spike shows signs of striking against the spike box by the bare metal on the sides of the spike and the spike box. Inspection of the main gear skids shows no sign of hard landing.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON JULY 24, 2002, APPROXIMATELY 1415 LOCAL TIME, N60PH WAS TRAVELING ENROUTE SEASIDE, OREGON FROM CHELHAM, OREGON. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS AT 2500 FEET ASL AT 110 MPH WHEN HIS PILOT WINDSHIELD EXPLODED. PARTIAL FRAGMENTS BLEW INTO THE PILOT AND THE REMAINING FRAMENTS BLEW OUTWARDS. HE THEN LOST CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER, GOING INTO A RIGHT HAND SPIN. HE REGAINED CONTROL ABOUT 500 AGL, LANDING AT THE CLOSEST FIELD. POINT OF LANDING IS NEAR ELSIE, OREGON. PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE WIRE CUTTER INSTALLED ON TOP OF THE CABIN HAD BEEN STRUCK BY THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES. ALSO, THE WIRE CUTTER BASE MOUNT HAD BEEN SHIFTED BY EVIDENCE OF THE POTTING AND PAINT CRACKING ON THE EDGE OF THE MOUNT. THE WIRE CUTTER WAS BENT IN THE LEFT DIRECTION FOLLOWING THE DIRECTION OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES. THE CO-PILOTS WINDSHIELD WAS ALSO BROKEN AT THE TOP OF THE WINDSHIELD NEXT TO THE WIRE CUTTER. THE WINDSHIELD PIECE FORCED INWARD AS IF THE WIRE CUTTER BASE HAD SHIFTED AND FORCED THE WINDSCREEN TO BREAK INWARD. BOTH VOR ANTENNAS MOUNTED ON TOP OF THE CABIN NEXT TO AND RIGHT BEHIND THE WIRE CUTTER ARE BROKEN OFF AT THE BASE MOUNT. INSPECTION OF THE PILOTS WINDSHIELD SHOWED NO DEBRIS TO INDICATE A BIRD OR FOD STRIKE. RETRIEVAL OF THE REMAINING PIECES VISUALLY SHOWS NO IMPACT DAMAGE. THE TOP WINDOW FRAME IS SLIGHTLY DEFORMED UPWARDS AS IF THE WIRE CUTTER, WHEN STRUCK BY THE BLADES, HAD PULLED THE FRAME IN THE UPWARD DIRECTION, GIVING THE IMPRESSION OF THE PILOTS WINDOW BEING BROKEN BY THE MOVEMENT OF THE WIRE CUTTER WHEN STRUCK BY THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES. INSPECTION OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES SHOW A GOUGE AT THE SAME DISTANCE FROM THE MAIN GEAR BOX MAIN ROTOR SHAFT TO THE WIRE CUTTER POSITION GIVING THE INDICATION OF BEING GOUGED BY THE WIRE CUTTER. SECONDARY INDICATIONS AREA ON THE MAIN ROTOR SHAFT SHOWING SIGNS OF BEING STRUCK BY THE MAIN ROTOR DROOP STOP STRIKE PLATE BY THE BARE METAL ON THE STRICK PLATE AND THE TRANSFERENCE OF PAINT TO THE ROTOR SHAFT. ALSO, THE MAIN GEARBOX SPIKE SHOWS SIGNS OF STRIKING AGAINST THE SPIKE BOX BY THE BARE METAL ON THE SIDES OF THE SPIKE AND THE SPIKE BOX. INSPECTION OF THE MAIN GEAR SKIDS SHOWS NO SIGN OF HARD LANDING.
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 N60PH · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.