What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) N314KA/K-1200/SN: A940015 had been contracted by the united states department of the interior, bureau of indian affairs and was being operated as public use aircraft. The owner/operator was superior helicopters, LLC located in grants pass, or (H9UL). The aircraft has just completed a release of water from a bambi bucket suspended by a 150' long line and was returning for a re-fill. The pilot radioed he was having a problem, seconds later he was heard to say he was going down. This was his last radio transmission. The aircraft was found inverted, nose down on it's left side. A post crash fire that destroyed the aircraft from the engine forward consumed both the aircraft and the pilot. All 4 main rotor blades were located and were broken off at the attach point at the main rotor yokes. Both main rotor heads were located approximately 150 yards from the main impact wreckage. The bambi bucket and long line assembly had been released from the aircraft and were located approximately 200 yards from the main impact wreckage. It was observed that the long line and suspension cables of the bambi bucket showed signs of fraying and contact. There was no evidence of leading edge damage orcontact of the main rotor blades. There were no eye witnesses to the accident, however, there were three witness statements from ground fire fighters that state they heard a "bang/pop" sound and a change in sound of the engine before ground impact. On July 25, 2003, fuel samples were taken to the fuels testing lab at fairchild afb, spokane, WA for testing. The fuel tested as jet-a with no significant findings.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) N314KA/K-1200/SN: A940015 HAD BEEN CONTRACTED BY THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS AND WAS BEING OPERATED AS PUBLIC USE AIRCRAFT. THE OWNER/OPERATOR WAS SUPERIOR HELICOPTERS, LLC LOCATED IN GRANTS PASS, OR (H9UL). THE AIRCRAFT HAS JUST COMPLETED A RELEASE OF WATER FROM A BAMBI BUCKET SUSPENDED BY A 150' LONG LINE AND WAS RETURNING FOR A RE-FILL. THE PILOT RADIOED HE WAS HAVING A PROBLEM, SECONDS LATER HE WAS HEARD TO SAY HE WAS GOING DOWN. THIS WAS HIS LAST RADIO TRANSMISSION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND INVERTED, NOSE DOWN ON IT'S LEFT SIDE. A POST CRASH FIRE THAT DESTROYED THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE ENGINE FORWARD CONSUMED BOTH THE AIRCRAFT AND THE PILOT. ALL 4 MAIN ROTOR BLADES WERE LOCATED AND WERE BROKEN OFF AT THE ATTACH POINT AT THE MAIN ROTOR YOKES. BOTH MAIN ROTOR HEADS WERE LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 150 YARDS FROM THE MAIN IMPACT WRECKAGE. THE BAMBI BUCKET AND LONG LINE ASSEMBLY HAD BEEN RELEASED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND WERE LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 200 YARDS FROM THE MAIN IMPACT WRECKAGE. IT WAS OBSERVED THAT THE LONG LINE AND SUSPENSION CABLES OF THE BAMBI BUCKET SHOWED SIGNS OF FRAYING AND CONTACT. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF LEADING EDGE DAMAGE ORCONTACT OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES. THERE WERE NO EYE WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT, HOWEVER, THERE WERE THREE WITNESS STATEMENTS FROM GROUND FIRE FIGHTERS THAT STATE THEY HEARD A "BANG/POP" SOUND AND A CHANGE IN SOUND OF THE ENGINE BEFORE GROUND IMPACT. ON JULY 25, 2003, FUEL SAMPLES WERE TAKEN TO THE FUELS TESTING LAB AT FAIRCHILD AFB, SPOKANE, WA FOR TESTING. THE FUEL TESTED AS JET-A WITH NO SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.