What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft was conducting a public use flight for the Idaho fish and game department doing game identification and tagging operations, and had two pax on board. While manuvering there was a loud bang followed by the low RPM warning. Pilot entered autorotation. While descending to land on the frozen river the tailboom hit the side of a bridge and severed. Aircraft hit hard on the ice, the left skid buckled and the aircraft rolled to the left. Rotor blades impacted ice. Aircraft settled on left side, blades stopped turning and passengers exited aircraft. Pilot was pinned under aircraft and was seriously injured requiring evacuation to hosiptal in missoula, Montana. Due to melting ice of river the aircraft was evacuated the next day to a secure facility. Inspection by NTSB, FAA, and industry experts showed that the aircraft showed no anomalies other than impact damage. The engine inspection revealed large quantities of metal on both the upper and lower gearbox chip detectors. The external oil filter also contained large amounts of metal chips. The engine was removed and sent to the rolls royce facility for further inspection.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT WAS CONDUCTING A PUBLIC USE FLIGHT FOR THE IDAHO FISH AND GAME DEPARTMENT DOING GAME IDENTIFICATION AND TAGGING OPERATIONS, AND HAD TWO PAX ON BOARD. WHILE MANUVERING THERE WAS A LOUD BANG FOLLOWED BY THE LOW RPM WARNING. PILOT ENTERED AUTOROTATION. WHILE DESCENDING TO LAND ON THE FROZEN RIVER THE TAILBOOM HIT THE SIDE OF A BRIDGE AND SEVERED. AIRCRAFT HIT HARD ON THE ICE, THE LEFT SKID BUCKLED AND THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED TO THE LEFT. ROTOR BLADES IMPACTED ICE. AIRCRAFT SETTLED ON LEFT SIDE, BLADES STOPPED TURNING AND PASSENGERS EXITED AIRCRAFT. PILOT WAS PINNED UNDER AIRCRAFT AND WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED REQUIRING EVACUATION TO HOSIPTAL IN MISSOULA, MONTANA.DUE TO MELTING ICE OF RIVER THE AIRCRAFT WAS EVACUATED THE NEXT DAY TO A SECURE FACILITY.INSPECTION BY NTSB, FAA, AND INDUSTRY EXPERTS SHOWED THAT THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED NO ANOMALIES OTHER THAN IMPACT DAMAGE. THE ENGINE INSPECTION REVEALED LARGE QUANTITIES OF METAL ON BOTH THE UPPER AND LOWER GEARBOX CHIP DETECTORS. THE EXTERNAL OIL FILTER ALSO CONTAINED LARGE AMOUNTS OF METAL CHIPS. THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED AND SENT TO THE ROLLS ROYCE FACILITY FOR FURTHER INSPECTION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.