What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot stated that during a repositioning flight from rancho murieta airport (riu) to mccellan airpark (mcc) he was requested by Mather field (mhr) tower to hold and circle for landing aircraft. After complying with the hold request, the tower directed N114FD to a mid-field location to facilitate transition through mhr airspace. While at the approach end of runway 22L, and approximately 1,300 AGL, the pilot reported hearing loud grinding noises from the engine. The noises were quickly followed by a loud bang and loss of power. The pilot executed a successful autorotation at the approach end of runway 22L. The pilot exited the aircraft and extinguished a small engine fire using the onboard fire extinguisher. The pilot and sole occupant of the helicopter was not injured and the aircraft sustained minor damage. This report will be amended as further data is received. Operations coordination - elle nasr, asi/sacfsdo. (-23 amendment) further investigation and inspection of aircraft showed the catastrophic failure of the compressor section of the engine. The accessory gearbox case was found to have a hole in it forward of the compressor sec tion inlet. A piece of metal that appears to have been from the hole in the accessory gearbox case was found among the debris in the compressor section. Further investigation also showed damage to the tailboom attachment cluster on the upper left side at the forward bulkhead of the tailboom. Due to this new information, this is being upgraded from an incident to an accident. Reference NTSB id number LAX04TA018.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT STATED THAT DURING A REPOSITIONING FLIGHT FROM RANCHO MURIETA AIRPORT (RIU) TO MCCELLAN AIRPARK (MCC) HE WAS REQUESTED BY MATHER FIELD (MHR) TOWER TO HOLD AND CIRCLE FOR LANDING AIRCRAFT. AFTER COMPLYING WITH THE HOLD REQUEST, THE TOWER DIRECTED N114FD TO A MID-FIELD LOCATION TO FACILITATE TRANSITION THROUGH MHR AIRSPACE. WHILE AT THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 22L, AND APPROXIMATELY 1,300 AGL, THE PILOT REPORTED HEARING LOUD GRINDING NOISES FROM THE ENGINE. THE NOISES WERE QUICKLY FOLLOWED BY A LOUD BANG AND LOSS OF POWER. THE PILOT EXECUTED A SUCCESSFUL AUTOROTATION AT THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 22L. THE PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND EXTINGUISHED A SMALL ENGINE FIRE USING THE ONBOARD FIRE EXTINGUISHER. THE PILOT AND SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE HELICOPTER WAS NOT INJURED AND THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE. THIS REPORT WILL BE AMENDED AS FURTHER DATA IS RECEIVED. OPERATIONS COORDINATION - ELLE NASR, ASI/SACFSDO. (-23 AMENDMENT) FURTHER INVESTIGATION AND INSPECTION OF AIRCRAFT SHOWED THE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE COMPRESSOR SECTION OF THE ENGINE. THE ACCESSORY GEARBOX CASE WAS FOUND TO HAVE A HOLE IN IT FORWARD OF THE COMPRESSOR SEC TION INLET. A PIECE OF METAL THAT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN FROM THE HOLE IN THE ACCESSORY GEARBOX CASE WAS FOUND AMONG THE DEBRIS IN THE COMPRESSOR SECTION. FURTHER INVESTIGATION ALSO SHOWED DAMAGE TO THE TAILBOOM ATTACHMENT CLUSTER ON THE UPPER LEFT SIDE AT THE FORWARD BULKHEAD OF THE TAILBOOM. DUE TO THIS NEW INFORMATION, THIS IS BEING UPGRADED FROM AN INCIDENT TO AN ACCIDENT. REFERENCE NTSB ID NUMBER LAX04TA018.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.