What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Aircraft was enroute from its home location to the columbus county airport (cpc) for external load training. The aircraft was carrying a "long line" and spare tire as an external load and cruised at an altitude of about 500 feet when the engine lost power. It was reported that the engine was at about ground idle during the descent. An autorotation was initiated, and the external cable was released from the cargo hook. The aircraft touched down in a field with forward motion. From that point it appeared that the low rotor speed allowed a main rotor blade to contact the tailboom causing the aft portion to be severed from the aircraft. The aircraft subsequently yawed to the left and rolled onto its right side. It was reported that the engine continued to run after the pilots exited the aircraft. The pilots manually shut the engine down. The engine was sent to the manufacturer for teardown inspection and evaluation due to reported power loss.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRCRAFT WAS ENROUTE FROM ITS HOME LOCATION TO THE COLUMBUS COUNTY AIRPORT (CPC) FOR EXTERNAL LOAD TRAINING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS CARRYING A "LONG LINE" AND SPARE TIRE AS AN EXTERNAL LOAD AND CRUISED AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 500 FEET WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER. IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE WAS AT ABOUT GROUND IDLE DURING THE DESCENT. AN AUTOROTATION WAS INITIATED, AND THE EXTERNAL CABLE WAS RELEASED FROM THE CARGO HOOK. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN IN A FIELD WITH FORWARD MOTION. FROM THAT POINT IT APPEARED THAT THE LOW ROTOR SPEED ALLOWED A MAIN ROTOR BLADE TO CONTACT THE TAILBOOM CAUSING THE AFT PORTION TO BE SEVERED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT SUBSEQUENTLY YAWED TO THE LEFT AND ROLLED ONTO ITS RIGHT SIDE. IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN AFTER THE PILOTS EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOTS MANUALLY SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN. THE ENGINE WAS SENT TO THE MANUFACTURER FOR TEARDOWN INSPECTION AND EVALUATION DUE TO REPORTED POWER LOSS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N11AS · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.