What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 10/10/2008 at approximately 1840 CDT, privacy data omitted departed with one pax from his private landing strip located approximately 10 miles NE of Madison, SD. This was a pleasure flight planned for rutland, SD. They were cruising at approximately 400' AGL. The pilot stated he experienced a loss of power approximately eight tenths of mile west of rutland, SD. He performed an autorotation and his only available place to do an autorotation to land was in a corn field. The helicopter landed hard and bounced. The blades struck the tail boom and the helicopter came to rest on the right side causing substantial damage. The pilot and passenger received minor cuts and scratches to their heads. The pilot stated that two of the four drive belts were off the pulley. On 10-22-2008, airworthiness inspector privacy data omitted arrived at the owner's residence to inspect the helicopter with emphasis on the belt drive assembly. Inspector privacy data omitted did not find any other obvious airworthiness issues with the helicopter. The information will be forwarded to privacy data omitted of the NTSB.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 10/10/2008 AT APPROXIMATELY 1840 CDT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED WITH ONE PAX FROM HIS PRIVATE LANDING STRIP LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES NE OF MADISON, SD. THIS WAS A PLEASURE FLIGHT PLANNED FOR RUTLAND, SD. THEY WERE CRUISING AT APPROXIMATELY 400' AGL. THE PILOT STATED HE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER APPROXIMATELY EIGHT TENTHS OF MILE WEST OF RUTLAND, SD. HE PERFORMED AN AUTOROTATION AND HIS ONLY AVAILABLE PLACE TO DO AN AUTOROTATION TO LAND WAS IN A CORN FIELD. THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD AND BOUNCED. THE BLADES STRUCK THE TAIL BOOM AND THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST ON THE RIGHT SIDE CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR CUTS AND SCRATCHES TO THEIR HEADS. THE PILOT STATED THAT TWO OF THE FOUR DRIVE BELTS WERE OFF THE PULLEY. ON 10-22-2008, AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ARRIVED AT THE OWNER'S RESIDENCE TO INSPECT THE HELICOPTER WITH EMPHASIS ON THE BELT DRIVE ASSEMBLY. INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DID NOT FIND ANY OTHER OBVIOUS AIRWORTHINESS ISSUES WITH THE HELICOPTER. THE INFORMATION WILL BE FORWARDED TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF THE NTSB.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.