What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) privacy data omitted on July 25, 2002 at approximately 11:30 a.m. local time, a Bell 206B helicopter, canadian registration number cgmls, crashed in the backyard of private home privacy data omitted the pilot, james m. standard of standard ag helicopter, inc., stated that he lost engine power while conducting external lift operations. After a momentary power loss the pilot attempted an emergency landing and prior to landing the engine again regained power and then lost power just before landing very hard. The following observation at the scene were noted: 1. The pilot was injured, taken to the hospital, and later released with minor injuries. 2. The helicopter sustained structural damage. 3. The tail boom was damaged. 4. The landing gear skids were broken from the structure and pushed through the fuselage. 5. The Newfield fire department checked the site for a fuel spill that could cause a fire. No fuel spill was noted and no risk of fire was apparent. 6. The ithaca tompkins county fire chief checked the site and was unable to find any significant amount of fuel spill from the aircraft at the scene. 7. Inspectors sergio perez, gui do hassig, and richard shaughnessy checked the 96 gallons fuel bladder located behind the cabin. The fuel bladder was empty. 8. The fuel supply line to the engine-driven pump was dry with no fuel. 9. The engine-driven pump fuel pressure line feeding fuel to the controller was removed and found dry. 10. Using a crane, the aircraft was lifted from the ground and an examination of the surface under the aircraft did not show any ground fuel contamination. Using a shovel the ground was tilled and live worms could be seen within a few inches of the topsoil. 11. The engine could be turned freely without any abnormal noise or friction. 12. The helicopter fuel gauge was working intermittently before the accident. 13. The pilot and Mr. Jeremy gore were using a fuel stick that was marked showing 35 and 50 gallons. The stick calibration was done using the intermittent fuel gauge in the helicopter. 14. Mr. Gore made a statement that the aircraft had been fueled with about one hour of fuel. 15. The pilot told the inspectors that he had been in the air for about 1 hour and 5 minutes but thought he had more fuel. 16. The fuel gauge intermittent problem was not recorded on the aircraft maintenance journal. 17. Copies of the maintenance journal were made for transport Canada caa.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ON JULY 25, 2002 AT APPROXIMATELY 11:30 A.M. LOCAL TIME, A BELL 206B HELICOPTER, CANADIAN REGISTRATION NUMBER CGMLS, CRASHED IN THE BACKYARD OF PRIVATE HOME ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THE PILOT, JAMES M. STANDARD OF STANDARD AG HELICOPTER, INC., STATED THAT HE LOST ENGINE POWER WHILE CONDUCTING EXTERNAL LIFT OPERATIONS. AFTER A MOMENTARY POWER LOSS THE PILOT ATTEMPTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING AND PRIOR TO LANDING THE ENGINE AGAIN REGAINED POWER AND THEN LOST POWER JUST BEFORE LANDING VERY HARD. THE FOLLOWING OBSERVATION AT THE SCENE WERE NOTED: 1. THE PILOT WAS INJURED, TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL, AND LATER RELEASED WITH MINOR INJURIES. 2. THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. 3. THE TAIL BOOM WAS DAMAGED. 4. THE LANDING GEAR SKIDS WERE BROKEN FROM THE STRUCTURE AND PUSHED THROUGH THE FUSELAGE. 5. THE NEWFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT CHECKED THE SITE FOR A FUEL SPILL THAT COULD CAUSE A FIRE. NO FUEL SPILL WAS NOTED AND NO RISK OF FIRE WAS APPARENT. 6. THE ITHACA TOMPKINS COUNTY FIRE CHIEF CHECKED THE SITE AND WAS UNABLE TO FIND ANY SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FUEL SPILL FROM THE AIRCRAFT AT THE SCENE. 7. INSPECTORS SERGIO PEREZ, GUI DO HASSIG, AND RICHARD SHAUGHNESSY CHECKED THE 96 GALLONS FUEL BLADDER LOCATED BEHIND THE CABIN. THE FUEL BLADDER WAS EMPTY. 8. THE FUEL SUPPLY LINE TO THE ENGINE-DRIVEN PUMP WAS DRY WITH NO FUEL. 9. THE ENGINE-DRIVEN PUMP FUEL PRESSURE LINE FEEDING FUEL TO THE CONTROLLER WAS REMOVED AND FOUND DRY. 10. USING A CRANE, THE AIRCRAFT WAS LIFTED FROM THE GROUND AND AN EXAMINATION OF THE SURFACE UNDER THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT SHOW ANY GROUND FUEL CONTAMINATION. USING A SHOVEL THE GROUND WAS TILLED AND LIVE WORMS COULD BE SEEN WITHIN A FEW INCHES OF THE TOPSOIL. 11. THE ENGINE COULD BE TURNED FREELY WITHOUT ANY ABNORMAL NOISE OR FRICTION. 12. THE HELICOPTER FUEL GAUGE WAS WORKING INTERMITTENTLY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. 13. THE PILOT AND MR. JEREMY GORE WERE USING A FUEL STICK THAT WAS MARKED SHOWING 35 AND 50 GALLONS. THE STICK CALIBRATION WAS DONE USING THE INTERMITTENT FUEL GAUGE IN THE HELICOPTER. 14. MR. GORE MADE A STATEMENT THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN FUELED WITH ABOUT ONE HOUR OF FUEL. 15. THE PILOT TOLD THE INSPECTORS THAT HE HAD BEEN IN THE AIR FOR ABOUT 1 HOUR AND 5 MINUTES BUT THOUGHT HE HAD MORE FUEL. 16. THE FUEL GAUGE INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WAS NOT RECORDED ON THE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE JOURNAL. 17. COPIES OF THE MAINTENANCE JOURNAL WERE MADE FOR TRANSPORT CANADA CAA.