What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot had just picked helicopter up to a hover when he noticed the tach reading zero, the engine starting to run rough, and the manifold pressure gauge reading approximately 7" high. He set the aircraft back down. As the wheels touched down he heard a bang followed by smoke and fire coming out from the engine compartment. He cut-off the mixture, closed the fuel valve, applied the rotor brake and evacuated the aircraft out the pilots window/door. The fire continued to spread and consumed the entire airframe forward of the vertical fin/tail rotor.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT HAD JUST PICKED HELICOPTER UP TO A HOVER WHEN HE NOTICED THE TACH READING ZERO, THE ENGINE STARTING TO RUN ROUGH, AND THE MANIFOLD PRESSURE GAUGE READING APPROXIMATELY 7" HIGH. HE SET THE AIRCRAFT BACK DOWN. AS THE WHEELS TOUCHED DOWN HE HEARD A BANG FOLLOWED BY SMOKE AND FIRE COMING OUT FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. HE CUT-OFF THE MIXTURE, CLOSED THE FUEL VALVE, APPLIED THE ROTOR BRAKE AND EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT OUT THE PILOTS WINDOW/DOOR. THE FIRE CONTINUED TO SPREAD AND CONSUMED THE ENTIRE AIRFRAME FORWARD OF THE VERTICAL FIN/TAIL ROTOR.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.