What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) privacy data omitted aircraft was operating in below freezing temperatures spraying hot water from an internal boom operated by a crewmember. The water was pumped from a 55 gal container by a gas powered pump. The object was to clean insulators on a power line located near Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. The aircraft was followed by a service truck that was adding 20 gal of fuel to the helicopter at regular intervals. The aircraft had been operating for 2+ hours when the engine suddenly quit. The aircraft had just been fueled and the internal drum had been filled with hot water. The aircraft was at max weight when the engine quit. The aircraft fell from about 60 feet. The impact broke the pilot's back and injured the passenger. The damage to the helicopter was substantial.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATING IN BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES SPRAYING HOT WATER FROM AN INTERNAL BOOM OPERATED BY A CREWMEMBER. THE WATER WAS PUMPED FROM A 55 GAL CONTAINER BY A GAS POWERED PUMP. THE OBJECT WAS TO CLEAN INSULATORS ON A POWER LINE LOCATED NEAR PRUDHOE BAY, ALASKA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOLLOWED BY A SERVICE TRUCK THAT WAS ADDING 20 GAL OF FUEL TO THE HELICOPTER AT REGULAR INTERVALS. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN OPERATING FOR 2+ HOURS WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY QUIT. THE AIRCRAFT HAD JUST BEEN FUELED AND THE INTERNAL DRUM HAD BEEN FILLED WITH HOT WATER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT MAX WEIGHT WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT. THE AIRCRAFT FELL FROM ABOUT 60 FEET. THE IMPACT BROKE THE PILOT'S BACK AND INJURED THE PASSENGER. THE DAMAGE TO THE HELICOPTER WAS SUBSTANTIAL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.