What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N17285 SA-315-B lama helicopter lost engine power / RPM after take-off climb to transitioning to forward flight. Resulted in the helicopter impacting hard on landing. The air operator was an aerial agricultural single pilot operation with no injuries. The accident occurred on September, 7, 2010 at approximately 0718 am local time (PST). The accident sight is approximately 3 miles east of the town of Winters, CA. On road 92F and highway 128.at 0530 am the helicopter was operating from the operator's farm hanger. The helicopter was fueled with 30 gallons additional with less than 90 gallons total in tank. The fuel tank was 'sumped' (checked for water) prior to take-off. At approximately 0700 a.m. the turbomeca artouste iiib engine was started all was normal. Then the helicopter took off to re-position at a loading zone approximately ½ mile from the farm hanger. The helicopter was 'hot loaded' the external bulk tanks with 180 gallons of water and etherol mixture. At approximately 0718 am the pilot checked the engine RPM and instruments all indications were 'normal'. The helicopter collective pitch was pulled for a vertical take off to avoid power lines to an altitude of approximately 150 feet above the ground. As the helicopter was transitioning to forward flight the engine's RPM dropped to near idle speed. The pilot executed an emergency autorotation then an extremely hard landing. Causing the main rotor blades to flex sever enough to hit the engine exhaust tail pipe and cut midway through the tailboom at approximately between the number two and three tail rotor drive shaft hanger bearing section. The helicopter remained upright and did not rotate on the ground after the tail boom tail rotor gearbox blade and hub assemble departed. One main rotor blade did all the cutting and the follow two blades had a lesser degree of damage. Fuel sample from the main fuel tank was inspected and was found to be clear of any contamination. The initial investigation was to check for fuel contamination it was found to be clear of any contaminants. Review of the recent maintenance record entries show no major maintenance had been performed on the engine fuels system since the overhaul 190.0 hours ago. Preliminary the focus now would be likely that the engine may have had a "low-side governor" failure or possible a fuel pump abnormality.
As the FAA filed it
N17285 SA-315-B LAMA HELICOPTER LOST ENGINE POWER / RPM AFTER TAKE-OFF CLIMB TO TRANSITIONING TO FORWARD FLIGHT. RESULTED IN THE HELICOPTER IMPACTING HARD ON LANDING. THE AIR OPERATOR WAS AN AERIAL AGRICULTURAL SINGLE PILOT OPERATION WITH NO INJURIES.THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON SEPTEMBER, 7, 2010 AT APPROXIMATELY 0718 AM LOCAL TIME (PST). THE ACCIDENT SIGHT IS APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES EAST OF THE TOWN OF WINTERS, CA. ON ROAD 92F AND HIGHWAY 128.AT 0530 AM THE HELICOPTER WAS OPERATING FROM THE OPERATOR'S FARM HANGER. THE HELICOPTER WAS FUELED WITH 30 GALLONS ADDITIONAL WITH LESS THAN 90 GALLONS TOTAL IN TANK. THE FUEL TANK WAS 'SUMPED' (CHECKED FOR WATER) PRIOR TO TAKE-OFF.AT APPROXIMATELY 0700 A.M. THE TURBOMECA ARTOUSTE IIIB ENGINE WAS STARTED ALL WAS NORMAL. THEN THE HELICOPTER TOOK OFF TO RE-POSITION AT A LOADING ZONE APPROXIMATELY ½ MILE FROM THE FARM HANGER. THE HELICOPTER WAS 'HOT LOADED' THE EXTERNAL BULK TANKS WITH 180 GALLONS OF WATER AND ETHEROL MIXTURE.AT APPROXIMATELY 0718 AM THE PILOT CHECKED THE ENGINE RPM AND INSTRUMENTS ALL INDICATIONS WERE 'NORMAL'. THE HELICOPTER COLLECTIVE PITCH WAS PULLED FOR A VERTICAL TAKE OFF TO AVOID POWER LINES TO AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. AS THE HELICOPTER WAS TRANSITIONING TO FORWARD FLIGHT THE ENGINE'S RPM DROPPED TO NEAR IDLE SPEED. THE PILOT EXECUTED AN EMERGENCY AUTOROTATION THEN AN EXTREMELY HARD LANDING. CAUSING THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES TO FLEX SEVER ENOUGH TO HIT THE ENGINE EXHAUST TAIL PIPE AND CUT MIDWAY THROUGH THE TAILBOOM AT APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN THE NUMBER TWO AND THREE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT HANGER BEARING SECTION. THE HELICOPTER REMAINED UPRIGHT AND DID NOT ROTATE ON THE GROUND AFTER THE TAIL BOOM TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX BLADE AND HUB ASSEMBLE DEPARTED. ONE MAIN ROTOR BLADE DID ALL THE CUTTING AND THE FOLLOW TWO BLADES HAD A LESSER DEGREE OF DAMAGE.FUEL SAMPLE FROM THE MAIN FUEL TANK WAS INSPECTED AND WAS FOUND TO BE CLEAR OF ANY CONTAMINATION. THE INITIAL INVESTIGATION WAS TO CHECK FOR FUEL CONTAMINATION IT WAS FOUND TO BE CLEAR OF ANY CONTAMINANTS. REVIEW OF THE RECENT MAINTENANCE RECORD ENTRIES SHOW NO MAJOR MAINTENANCE HAD BEEN PERFORMED ON THE ENGINE FUELS SYSTEM SINCE THE OVERHAUL 190.0 HOURS AGO. PRELIMINARY THE FOCUS NOW WOULD BE LIKELY THAT THE ENGINE MAY HAVE HAD A "LOW-SIDE GOVERNOR" FAILURE OR POSSIBLE A FUEL PUMP ABNORMALITY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.