What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On may 2, 2005, at approximately 0945 mountain standard time, N3895D, a Bell 206-L1 aircraft made an emergency landing in a wooded area during an external load operation. There was no injury to the pilot but the aircraft sustained substantial damage. During an interview, the pilot stated that while he was positioning to drop the load off (the load was about 4-5 feet above the ground) he heard a tone alert in his headset. (Note: this system activates only when the engine reaches above 100% torque, and a torque of 104% was recorded). He immediately looks back inside the cockpit to investigate the tone alert. The pilot then felt a "ding" followed by left and right yaw and severe up and down aircraft movements. He also head a loud low frequency popping sound and experienced a rapid descent. He raised the collective to stop the descent but the vibration and the loud popping sound got worse. Realizing that he didn't have time to stabilize the aircraft he entered autorotation. Due to uneven surface and tall trees around the landing area, the aircraft sustained damage to the tail boom, tail rotor blades, main rotor blades and the right landing gear skid.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON MAY 2, 2005, AT APPROXIMATELY 0945 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, N3895D, A BELL 206-L1 AIRCRAFT MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A WOODED AREA DURING AN EXTERNAL LOAD OPERATION. THERE WAS NO INJURY TO THE PILOT BUT THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. DURING AN INTERVIEW, THE PILOT STATED THAT WHILE HE WAS POSITIONING TO DROP THE LOAD OFF (THE LOAD WAS ABOUT 4-5 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND) HE HEARD A TONE ALERT IN HIS HEADSET. (NOTE: THIS SYSTEM ACTIVATES ONLY WHEN THE ENGINE REACHES ABOVE 100% TORQUE, AND A TORQUE OF 104% WAS RECORDED). HE IMMEDIATELY LOOKS BACK INSIDE THE COCKPIT TO INVESTIGATE THE TONE ALERT. THE PILOT THEN FELT A "DING" FOLLOWED BY LEFT AND RIGHT YAW AND SEVERE UP AND DOWN AIRCRAFT MOVEMENTS. HE ALSO HEAD A LOUD LOW FREQUENCY POPPING SOUND AND EXPERIENCED A RAPID DESCENT. HE RAISED THE COLLECTIVE TO STOP THE DESCENT BUT THE VIBRATION AND THE LOUD POPPING SOUND GOT WORSE. REALIZING THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO STABILIZE THE AIRCRAFT HE ENTERED AUTOROTATION. DUE TO UNEVEN SURFACE AND TALL TREES AROUND THE LANDING AREA, THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE TAIL BOOM, TAIL ROTOR BLADES, MAIN ROTOR BLADES AND THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR SKID.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.