What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) At 1300-1400' MSL, cruising at 110 knots all indications were normal when the pilot and passenger heard a loud explosion, felt an extreme vibration followed by annunciator panel warning lights and the epo audible warning horn. The pilot executed an auto-rotation in a vacant parking lot, landing safely. Upon exiting the helicopter, the passenger observed a fire in the engine (cowl blew open in the explosion) which was extinguished by the pilot using the onboard hand-held fire extinguisher.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AT 1300-1400' MSL, CRUISING AT 110 KNOTS ALL INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL WHEN THE PILOT AND PASSENGER HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION, FELT AN EXTREME VIBRATION FOLLOWED BY ANNUNCIATOR PANEL WARNING LIGHTS AND THE EPO AUDIBLE WARNING HORN. THE PILOT EXECUTED AN AUTO-ROTATION IN A VACANT PARKING LOT, LANDING SAFELY. UPON EXITING THE HELICOPTER, THE PASSENGER OBSERVED A FIRE IN THE ENGINE (COWL BLEW OPEN IN THE EXPLOSION) WHICH WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE PILOT USING THE ONBOARD HAND-HELD FIRE EXTINGUISHER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.