What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Departed Mouton Cove at 0630 with 3 pax from pmi-to accomplish crew change at wc 280. Departed mtc on approximately northeast heading. While at approximately 150-200 feet AGL, simultaneously heard the engine make a popping noise and the aircraft yawed. The engine immediately lost power with a rapid decell of N1-percent rotor RPM. Entered autorotation-cleared trees to north of mtc, landed aircraft in rice paddy. On touch down to rice paddy, maintained full aft cyclic, with full collective to accomplish as much aerodynamic breaking as possible so aircraft would quickly dissipate forward motion. This resulted in main rotor contacting tailboom as aircraft settled in mud.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) DEPARTED MOUTON COVE AT 0630 WITH 3 PAX FROM PMI-TO ACCOMPLISH CREW CHANGE AT WC 280. DEPARTED MTC ON APPROXIMATELY NORTHEAST HEADING. WHILE AT APPROXIMATELY 150-200 FEET AGL, SIMULTANEOUSLY HEARD THE ENGINE MAKE A POPPING NOISE AND THE AIRCRAFT YAWED. THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY LOST POWER WITH A RAPID DECELL OF N1-PERCENT ROTOR RPM. ENTERED AUTOROTATION-CLEARED TREES TO NORTH OF MTC, LANDED AIRCRAFT IN RICE PADDY. ON TOUCH DOWN TO RICE PADDY, MAINTAINED FULL AFT CYCLIC, WITH FULL COLLECTIVE TO ACCOMPLISH AS MUCH AERODYNAMIC BREAKING AS POSSIBLE SO AIRCRAFT WOULD QUICKLY DISSIPATE FORWARD MOTION. THIS RESULTED IN MAIN ROTOR CONTACTING TAILBOOM AS AIRCRAFT SETTLED IN MUD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.