What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On August 16, 200, about 2110 CDT, a Schweizer 269C, N269FW, registered to freedom flight LLC, departed tuscaloosa Alabama enroute to russellville Alabama. While enroute to russellville the helicopter experienced engine problems and made a forced landing in a powerline clearing. The helicopter sustained substantial damage and the pilot was transferred to uab hospital, located in birmingham Alabama for back injuries. (.19) on August 16, 2002, about 2110 central daylight time, a Schweizer 269C, N269FW, registered to freedom flight LLC, operating as a 14 CFR part 91 personal flight, experienced a reported loss of engine power in the vicinity of Haleyville, Alabama, and crashed during a forced landing. VFR flight conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The helicopter sustained substantial damage. The commercial pilot sustained serious injuries. The flight originated from tuscaloosa, Alabama, at 2100. According to the pilot's wife, her husband initially departed from demopolis, Alabama, VFR en route to russellville, Alabama. He encountered some weather and landed at tuscaloosa. After the weather passed, he departed tuscaloosa en route to russellv ille. Her husband told her that he was in cruise flight at 2,000 feet when the engine started running rough. He had just passed Haleyville, Alabama, and turned back towards it when the engine quit. He entered an autorotation towards some light poles and trees. He cleared the trees and the wires and landed in a vertical descent hard. He exited the helicopter and was picked up by a local resident who transported him to the local emergency medical technicians. The marion county sheriff department was notified, and a deputy went to the crash scene. The helicopter skids were spread, the cockpit glass was broken, one rotor blade was split across the mid span, and the tail boom was bent downward. The left pilot seat sustained downward compression.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON AUGUST 16, 200, ABOUT 2110 CDT, A SCHWEIZER 269C, N269FW, REGISTERED TO FREEDOM FLIGHT LLC, DEPARTED TUSCALOOSA ALABAMA ENROUTE TO RUSSELLVILLE ALABAMA. WHILE ENROUTE TO RUSSELLVILLE THE HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED ENGINE PROBLEMS AND MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A POWERLINE CLEARING. THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE PILOT WAS TRANSFERRED TO UAB HOSPITAL, LOCATED IN BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA FOR BACK INJURIES. (.19) ON AUGUST 16, 2002, ABOUT 2110 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A SCHWEIZER 269C, N269FW, REGISTERED TO FREEDOM FLIGHT LLC, OPERATING AS A 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, EXPERIENCED A REPORTED LOSS OF ENGINE POWER IN THE VICINITY OF HALEYVILLE, ALABAMA, AND CRASHED DURING A FORCED LANDING. VFR FLIGHT CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA, AT 2100. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S WIFE, HER HUSBAND INITIALLY DEPARTED FROM DEMOPOLIS, ALABAMA, VFR EN ROUTE TO RUSSELLVILLE, ALABAMA. HE ENCOUNTERED SOME WEATHER AND LANDED AT TUSCALOOSA. AFTER THE WEATHER PASSED, HE DEPARTED TUSCALOOSA EN ROUTE TO RUSSELLV ILLE. HER HUSBAND TOLD HER THAT HE WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 2,000 FEET WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED RUNNING ROUGH. HE HAD JUST PASSED HALEYVILLE, ALABAMA, AND TURNED BACK TOWARDS IT WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT. HE ENTERED AN AUTOROTATION TOWARDS SOME LIGHT POLES AND TREES. HE CLEARED THE TREES AND THE WIRES AND LANDED IN A VERTICAL DESCENT HARD. HE EXITED THE HELICOPTER AND WAS PICKED UP BY A LOCAL RESIDENT WHO TRANSPORTED HIM TO THE LOCAL EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS. THE MARION COUNTY SHERIFF DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED, AND A DEPUTY WENT TO THE CRASH SCENE. THE HELICOPTER SKIDS WERE SPREAD, THE COCKPIT GLASS WAS BROKEN, ONE ROTOR BLADE WAS SPLIT ACROSS THE MID SPAN, AND THE TAIL BOOM WAS BENT DOWNWARD. THE LEFT PILOT SEAT SUSTAINED DOWNWARD COMPRESSION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.