What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) At approximately 2309 hrs on April 5, 2008, a Topeka police helicopter (N402PD/Robinson R-44) departed billard field (top) in Topeka, KS. The pilot privacy data omitted, copilot and one passenger were on patrol near washburn university when the aircraft experienced an engine overspeed condition. The pilot disengaged the engine overspeed governor to manually maintain engine RPM. While the pilot did manage to maintain engine RPM, the main rotor RPM started to decay. The pilot scanned the immediate area, selected a vacant parking lot at the washburn university and executed an autorotation maneuver. Prior to touchdown in the parking lot the main rotor blades struck a light pole. The aircraft impacted the ground and rolled over onto the left side of the fuselage and the aircraft was substantially damaged. The pilot, copilot, and passenger were not injured.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AT APPROXIMATELY 2309 HRS ON APRIL 5, 2008, A TOPEKA POLICE HELICOPTER (N402PD/ROBINSON R-44) DEPARTED BILLARD FIELD (TOP) IN TOPEKA, KS. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, COPILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE ON PATROL NEAR WASHBURN UNIVERSITY WHEN THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE OVERSPEED CONDITION. THE PILOT DISENGAGED THE ENGINE OVERSPEED GOVERNOR TO MANUALLY MAINTAIN ENGINE RPM. WHILE THE PILOT DID MANAGE TO MAINTAIN ENGINE RPM, THE MAIN ROTOR RPM STARTED TO DECAY. THE PILOT SCANNED THE IMMEDIATE AREA, SELECTED A VACANT PARKING LOT AT THE WASHBURN UNIVERSITY AND EXECUTED AN AUTOROTATION MANEUVER. PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN IN THE PARKING LOT THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK A LIGHT POLE. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND AND ROLLED OVER ONTO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE PILOT, COPILOT, AND PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.