What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On July 31, 2004, approximately 1900 central daylight time, a Bell 47-G2 single-engine helicopter, N7892B, was destroyed during a precautionary autorotation landing following a reported loss of manifold pressure near La Porte, Texas. The helicopter was registered to and operated by tri star aviation. The commercial pilot sustained serious injuries, and the two passengers sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 code of federal regulations part 91 sightseeing flight. The local flight originated from the La Porte Municipal Airport, near La Porte, Texas, approximately 1845. According to the pilot that reported that during cruise flight at an altitude of approximately 600 feet above ground level (AGL), the "manifold pressure dropped, but he was able to correct it with adjusting the throttle setting." The pilot elected to initiate an autorotation to a vacant field and reduced the collective. At an altitude of approximately 50-100 feet AGL, the pilot stated "the bottom fell out" and the helicopter impacted the ground upright, and a post crash fire ensued. The two passengers reported that after hearing a "loud bang." The pilot informed them he was going to attempt to return to the airport if he could keep the "revs" up before the precautionary landing. A witness located adjacent to the accident site reported seeing the helicopter strike a power line before landing. Subsequently, the helicopter impacted the ground and "spun around" two times before it came to rest in a field. Examination of the helicopter by the FAA inspector revealed the fuselage of the helicopter was destroyed and there was a post impact fire. The tail rotor gearbox was located approximately 64 yards from the main wreckage with very little (could only get a drop on the window) visible oil in the gear box. The tail rotor blades remained attached and were bent. Rotational continuity was established throughout the engine when it was rotated by hand. Both magnetos produced spark on all leads when the engine was rotated. Fuel was observed in the carburetor float bowl. The tail rotor assembly and portions of the tail rotor drive shaft, along with portions of the tail boom have been shipped to the NTSB in arlington, TX for inspection in the lab.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON JULY 31, 2004, APPROXIMATELY 1900 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL 47-G2 SINGLE-ENGINE HELICOPTER, N7892B, WAS DESTROYED DURING A PRECAUTIONARY AUTOROTATION LANDING FOLLOWING A REPORTED LOSS OF MANIFOLD PRESSURE NEAR LA PORTE, TEXAS. THE HELICOPTER WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY TRI STAR AVIATION. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES, AND THE TWO PASSENGERS SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE LA PORTE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, NEAR LA PORTE, TEXAS, APPROXIMATELY 1845. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT THAT REPORTED THAT DURING CRUISE FLIGHT AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 600 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL), THE "MANIFOLD PRESSURE DROPPED, BUT HE WAS ABLE TO CORRECT IT WITH ADJUSTING THE THROTTLE SETTING." THE PILOT ELECTED TO INITIATE AN AUTOROTATION TO A VACANT FIELD AND REDUCED THE COLLECTIVE. AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 50-100 FEET AGL, THE PILOT STATED "THE BOTTOM FELL OUT" AND THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE GROUND UPRIGHT, AND A POST CRASH FIRE ENSUED. THE TWO PASSENGERS REPORTED THAT AFTER HEARING A "LOUD BANG." THE PILOT INFORMED THEM HE WAS GOING TO ATTEMPT TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT IF HE COULD KEEP THE "REVS" UP BEFORE THE PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. A WITNESS LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE ACCIDENT SITE REPORTED SEEING THE HELICOPTER STRIKE A POWER LINE BEFORE LANDING. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE GROUND AND "SPUN AROUND" TWO TIMES BEFORE IT CAME TO REST IN A FIELD. EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER BY THE FAA INSPECTOR REVEALED THE FUSELAGE OF THE HELICOPTER WAS DESTROYED AND THERE WAS A POST IMPACT FIRE. THE TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 64 YARDS FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE WITH VERY LITTLE (COULD ONLY GET A DROP ON THE WINDOW) VISIBLE OIL IN THE GEAR BOX. THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES REMAINED ATTACHED AND WERE BENT. ROTATIONAL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED THROUGHOUT THE ENGINE WHEN IT WAS ROTATED BY HAND. BOTH MAGNETOS PRODUCED SPARK ON ALL LEADS WHEN THE ENGINE WAS ROTATED. FUEL WAS OBSERVED IN THE CARBURETOR FLOAT BOWL. THE TAIL ROTOR ASSEMBLY AND PORTIONS OF THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT, ALONG WITH PORTIONS OF THE TAIL BOOM HAVE BEEN SHIPPED TO THE NTSB IN ARLINGTON, TX FOR INSPECTION IN THE LAB.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.