What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
At approximately 1800 CST on March 3, 2011, a Bell 206-L4, N154MW, serial number 52154 lost power while on approach to the omni-flight helicopter pad in Birmingham, Alabama. The ATP rated check pilot, privacy data omitted, stated that at 500' and approximately 40KTS, he heard and felt two "thumps" and lost all power to the rotor. He immediately dropped the collective and initiated an auto-rotation onto the top of a closed parking deck in downtown Birmingham. Witness marks on the concrete indicated the stinger hit first and the helicopter then landed hard on its skids and slid approximately 15 feet. Impact forces bent the skids and caused the tail boom to fail in an upward direction. The boom was impacted by the main rotor and knocked nearly 180 degrees counter-clockwise, forcing the tail rotor to impact and cut into the starboard aft cockpit door. The helicopter was flying a post maintenance check flight following the scheduled replacement of the power turbine governor. A review of the aircraft's maintenance records indicate that the fuel control was also replaced on February 18, 2011, 13 days prior to the accident flight. Training records of the technicians performing these functions were reviewed and both mechanics were found to be properly experienced, trained and certificated. Inspection of the aircraft at the scene did not reveal any pre-crash abnormalities and fuel samples pulled from the aircraft and storage tanks at the base of operations were clear of any visual contaminates. After consulting with the NTSB, the aircraft was released for recovery and moved to arrow aviation in broussard, Louisiana. It will remain in quarantine until experts from the manufacturer and representatives from the NTSB can examine the installation and test run the engine. NTSB iic privacy data omitted
As the FAA filed it
AT APPROXIMATELY 1800 CST ON MARCH 3, 2011, A BELL 206-L4, N154MW, SERIAL NUMBER 52154 LOST POWER WHILE ON APPROACH TO THE OMNI-FLIGHT HELICOPTER PAD IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA. THE ATP RATED CHECK PILOT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, STATED THAT AT 500' AND APPROXIMATELY 40KTS, HE HEARD AND FELT TWO "THUMPS" AND LOST ALL POWER TO THE ROTOR. HE IMMEDIATELY DROPPED THE COLLECTIVE AND INITIATED AN AUTO-ROTATION ONTO THE TOP OF A CLOSED PARKING DECK IN DOWNTOWN BIRMINGHAM. WITNESS MARKS ON THE CONCRETE INDICATED THE STINGER HIT FIRST AND THE HELICOPTER THEN LANDED HARD ON ITS SKIDS AND SLID APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET. IMPACT FORCES BENT THE SKIDS AND CAUSED THE TAIL BOOM TO FAIL IN AN UPWARD DIRECTION. THE BOOM WAS IMPACTED BY THE MAIN ROTOR AND KNOCKED NEARLY 180 DEGREES COUNTER-CLOCKWISE, FORCING THE TAIL ROTOR TO IMPACT AND CUT INTO THE STARBOARD AFT COCKPIT DOOR. THE HELICOPTER WAS FLYING A POST MAINTENANCE CHECK FLIGHT FOLLOWING THE SCHEDULED REPLACEMENT OF THE POWER TURBINE GOVERNOR. A REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT'S MAINTENANCE RECORDS INDICATE THAT THE FUEL CONTROL WAS ALSO REPLACED ON FEBRUARY 18, 2011, 13 DAYS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT. TRAINING RECORDS OF THE TECHNICIANS PERFORMING THESE FUNCTIONS WERE REVIEWED AND BOTH MECHANICS WERE FOUND TO BE PROPERLY EXPERIENCED, TRAINED AND CERTIFICATED.INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AT THE SCENE DID NOT REVEAL ANY PRE-CRASH ABNORMALITIES AND FUEL SAMPLES PULLED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND STORAGE TANKS AT THE BASE OF OPERATIONS WERE CLEAR OF ANY VISUAL CONTAMINATES. AFTER CONSULTING WITH THE NTSB, THE AIRCRAFT WAS RELEASED FOR RECOVERY AND MOVED TO ARROW AVIATION IN BROUSSARD, LOUISIANA. IT WILL REMAIN IN QUARANTINE UNTIL EXPERTS FROM THE MANUFACTURER AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE NTSB CAN EXAMINE THE INSTALLATION AND TEST RUN THE ENGINE. NTSB IIC ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.