What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On approach to central Maine airport, norridgewok, ME the pilot heard a loud bang and immediately experienced a vibration accompanied by significant power loss. Two witnesses on the ground stated that the aircraft was running loudly and emitting black smoke. Unable to make it to runway 33 the pilot attempted to land in the open space of crossroads landfill. While executing a flare the right wheel dug into the rough terran, the main rotor followed striking the ground and rolling the aircraft onto its side. The impact tore off the right axle and wheel, sheared the rotor mast and damaged the rotor. Pilot was uninjured.
As the FAA filed it
ON APPROACH TO CENTRAL MAINE AIRPORT, NORRIDGEWOK, ME THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD BANG AND IMMEDIATELY EXPERIENCED A VIBRATION ACCOMPANIED BY SIGNIFICANT POWER LOSS. TWO WITNESSES ON THE GROUND STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS RUNNING LOUDLY AND EMITTING BLACK SMOKE. UNABLE TO MAKE IT TO RUNWAY 33 THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND IN THE OPEN SPACE OF CROSSROADS LANDFILL. WHILE EXECUTING A FLARE THE RIGHT WHEEL DUG INTO THE ROUGH TERRAN, THE MAIN ROTOR FOLLOWED STRIKING THE GROUND AND ROLLING THE AIRCRAFT ONTO ITS SIDE. THE IMPACT TORE OFF THE RIGHT AXLE AND WHEEL, SHEARED THE ROTOR MAST AND DAMAGED THE ROTOR. PILOT WAS UNINJURED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.