What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 09/15/2011 at approximatley 0815 hrs, pilot was on a pleasure flight with one passenger in a Bell 206B helicopter cruising at 105 knots at an altitude of approximatley 250 - 300 ft AGL when engine RPM dropped to flight idle speed. Pilot had no previous warning of impending engine failure. Pilot executed auto rotation to landing site. Aircraft impacted ground at a 45 degree angle then rolled over and came to rest on it's right hand side. Fuel depeletion was not a factor. Passenger sustained minor injury to his back and was taken to hospital and released later that day. Fuel onboard was approximatley sixty gallons. There was no post crash fire. Representatives from rolls royce engines and from Bell helicopter assisted FAA in the investigation. The engine was removed and inspected externally no significant cause for failure was noted. Engine will be sent to rolls royce for further analysis.
As the FAA filed it
ON 09/15/2011 AT APPROXIMATLEY 0815 HRS, PILOT WAS ON A PLEASURE FLIGHT WITH ONE PASSENGER IN A BELL 206B HELICOPTER CRUISING AT 105 KNOTS AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATLEY 250 - 300 FT AGL WHEN ENGINE RPM DROPPED TO FLIGHT IDLE SPEED. PILOT HAD NO PREVIOUS WARNING OF IMPENDING ENGINE FAILURE. PILOT EXECUTED AUTO ROTATION TO LANDING SITE. AIRCRAFT IMPACTED GROUND AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE THEN ROLLED OVER AND CAME TO REST ON IT'S RIGHT HAND SIDE. FUEL DEPELETION WAS NOT A FACTOR. PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURY TO HIS BACK AND WAS TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AND RELEASED LATER THAT DAY. FUEL ONBOARD WAS APPROXIMATLEY SIXTY GALLONS. THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE. REPRESENTATIVES FROM ROLLS ROYCE ENGINES AND FROM BELL HELICOPTER ASSISTED FAA IN THE INVESTIGATION. THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED AND INSPECTED EXTERNALLY NO SIGNIFICANT CAUSE FOR FAILURE WAS NOTED. ENGINE WILL BE SENT TO ROLLS ROYCE FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.