What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 20, 2009, about 1440 pacific daylight time, a Robinson R44 ii, N4174P, collided with terrain during a forced landing near valley center, California. The pilot was operating the helicopter under the provision of 14 code of federal regulations part 91. The certificated private pilot was acting as pilot in command and the commercial pilot passenger sustained serious injuries. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and tailboom. The local personal flight departed montgomery field airport, san diego, California, about 1300. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The pilots reported departing montgomery field about 1 1/2 hours prior to the accident. They flew to Ramona airport, Ramona, California, where the pirvate pilot performed traffic pattern practice. They then departed to a practice area near valley center. After stopping for a break, the commercial pilot took the controls of the helicopter with the intention of performing a pinnacle landing on a large rock. The pilot stated that he was not familiar with the area, so he circled the intended landing zone, and made a slow descent. As they approached the landing zone at an altitude of between 50 and 75 feet AGL, the pilot heard a popping sound followed by "silence." The nose of the helicopter then dropped, and the pilot stated that he assumed the engine had failed. He then lowered the collective and performed an autorotation. During the landing sequence the helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, and the tailboom became separated midspan. Fueling records obtained from crownair aviation, montgomery field, indicated that the helicopter was serviced with the addition of 29.5 gallons of aviation gasoline on the day of the accident. The closest aviation weather observation station was located at romona, which was 6 miles south of the accident site. The elevation of the weather observation station was 1,395 feet MSL. An aviation routine weather report was issued at 1453. It stated: winds from 260 degrees at 9 knots; visibility 10 miles; clear skies; temperature 32 degrees c; dew point 08 degrees c.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 20, 2009, ABOUT 1440 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A ROBINSON R44 II, N4174P, COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN DURING A FORCED LANDING NEAR VALLEY CENTER, CALIFORNIA. THE PILOT WAS OPERATING THE HELICOPTER UNDER THE PROVISION OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT WAS ACTING AS PILOT IN COMMAND AND THE COMMERCIAL PILOT PASSENGER SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE AND TAILBOOM. THE LOCAL PERSONAL FLIGHT DEPARTED MONTGOMERY FIELD AIRPORT, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, ABOUT 1300. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE PILOTS REPORTED DEPARTING MONTGOMERY FIELD ABOUT 1 1/2 HOURS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THEY FLEW TO RAMONA AIRPORT, RAMONA, CALIFORNIA, WHERE THE PIRVATE PILOT PERFORMED TRAFFIC PATTERN PRACTICE. THEY THEN DEPARTED TO A PRACTICE AREA NEAR VALLEY CENTER. AFTER STOPPING FOR A BREAK, THE COMMERCIAL PILOT TOOK THE CONTROLS OF THE HELICOPTER WITH THE INTENTION OF PERFORMING A PINNACLE LANDING ON A LARGE ROCK. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA, SO HE CIRCLED THE INTENDED LANDING ZONE, AND MADE A SLOW DESCENT. AS THEY APPROACHED THE LANDING ZONE AT AN ALTITUDE OF BETWEEN 50 AND 75 FEET AGL, THE PILOT HEARD A POPPING SOUND FOLLOWED BY "SILENCE." THE NOSE OF THE HELICOPTER THEN DROPPED, AND THE PILOT STATED THAT HE ASSUMED THE ENGINE HAD FAILED. HE THEN LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND PERFORMED AN AUTOROTATION. DURING THE LANDING SEQUENCE THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE, AND THE TAILBOOM BECAME SEPARATED MIDSPAN. FUELING RECORDS OBTAINED FROM CROWNAIR AVIATION, MONTGOMERY FIELD, INDICATED THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS SERVICED WITH THE ADDITION OF 29.5 GALLONS OF AVIATION GASOLINE ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. THE CLOSEST AVIATION WEATHER OBSERVATION STATION WAS LOCATED AT ROMONA, WHICH WAS 6 MILES SOUTH OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE ELEVATION OF THE WEATHER OBSERVATION STATION WAS 1,395 FEET MSL. AN AVIATION ROUTINE WEATHER REPORT WAS ISSUED AT 1453. IT STATED: WINDS FROM 260 DEGREES AT 9 KNOTS; VISIBILITY 10 MILES; CLEAR SKIES; TEMPERATURE 32 DEGREES C; DEW POINT 08 DEGREES C.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.