What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 18, 2012, the accident stand by for FSDO 63, San Juan, was inspector jose torres. At about 2048 hrs, he was notified by the regional operation center of an accident that involved a helicopter. Inspector torres was in communication with the NTSB and received instructions from inspector todd gunther. According to inspector torres the following information was provided: this helicopter was public aircraft and operated by San Juan police department. The pilot in command was privacy data omitted (pilot); privacy data omitted(copilot) and privacy data omitted (sjpd observer) and there were no injuries. The tail boom and tail upper tip were hit by the main blades and suffered substantial damage, the tail rotor shaft was pulled and broken in pieces and wire harness for external lighting system was ripped off, no fuel spill or odor were noted. During the pilot's interview the following information was provided, he departed from isla grande airport (sig) around 1930 hrs and at 2005 hrs an odor of fuel was present and decided to return to isla grande airport. Soon after, about 35 minutes of flight, the fuel pump warning lights came on resulting with an engine flame out, immediately the PIC performed an auto rotation landing. Inspector torres remained at the accident scene until the helicopter was placed on the flat bed tow truck. On 8/20/12 at 0930AM, Mr. Torres met with privacy data omitted of ecolift repair station and privacy data omitted of the helicopter in question) and during the conversation they discussed the preliminary and irregularities encountered after reading the pilots statements and the evidence collected. privacy data omitted Handed to us, some documents with a report that was done with the pilots on site and in which they witnessed that the helicopter did not have a leak after adding 10 gallons of fuel, this fuel was drained and refilled with 55 gallons of fuel and obtained the same results. The NTSB was advised on the findings and by then he was in contact with Bell and rolls royce representative. The NTSB designated inspector was Mr. Ralph hicks and he mentioned that he was not planning to come to the accident site. Pictures were taken and provided to Mr. Hicks. He requested to have the helicopter under custody. On August 21, 2012, after NTSB representative, Mr. Hicks, verified the provided evidence and proceeded to release the helicopter to theprivacy data omitted ask the NTSB if he can performed an engine run or tear down, Mr. Hicks granted the petition but only with an FAA inspector present. privacy data omitted Installed the engine in another helicopter and performed an engine run with Mr. Torres presence. They ran the engine for approximately 40 minutes, all within parameters. A 44709 is planned for the pilot in command.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 18, 2012, THE ACCIDENT STAND BY FOR FSDO 63, SAN JUAN, WAS INSPECTOR JOSE TORRES. AT ABOUT 2048 HRS, HE WAS NOTIFIED BY THE REGIONAL OPERATION CENTER OF AN ACCIDENT THAT INVOLVED A HELICOPTER. INSPECTOR TORRES WAS IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE NTSB AND RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS FROM INSPECTOR TODD GUNTHER. ACCORDING TO INSPECTOR TORRES THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED: THIS HELICOPTER WAS PUBLIC AIRCRAFT AND OPERATED BY SAN JUAN POLICE DEPARTMENT. THE PILOT IN COMMAND WAS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (PILOT); ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^(COPILOT) AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (SJPD OBSERVER) AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE TAIL BOOM AND TAIL UPPER TIP WERE HIT BY THE MAIN BLADES AND SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, THE TAIL ROTOR SHAFT WAS PULLED AND BROKEN IN PIECES AND WIRE HARNESS FOR EXTERNAL LIGHTING SYSTEM WAS RIPPED OFF, NO FUEL SPILL OR ODOR WERE NOTED. DURING THE PILOT'S INTERVIEW THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED, HE DEPARTED FROM ISLA GRANDE AIRPORT (SIG) AROUND 1930 HRS AND AT 2005 HRS AN ODOR OF FUEL WAS PRESENT AND DECIDED TO RETURN TO ISLA GRANDE AIRPORT. SOON AFTER, ABOUT 35 MINUTES OF FLIGHT, THE FUEL PUMP WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON RESULTING WITH AN ENGINE FLAME OUT, IMMEDIATELY THE PIC PERFORMED AN AUTO ROTATION LANDING. INSPECTOR TORRES REMAINED AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE UNTIL THE HELICOPTER WAS PLACED ON THE FLAT BED TOW TRUCK. ON 8/20/12 AT 0930AM, MR. TORRES MET WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF ECOLIFT REPAIR STATION AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF THE HELICOPTER IN QUESTION) AND DURING THE CONVERSATION THEY DISCUSSED THE PRELIMINARY AND IRREGULARITIES ENCOUNTERED AFTER READING THE PILOTS STATEMENTS AND THE EVIDENCE COLLECTED. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HANDED TO US, SOME DOCUMENTS WITH A REPORT THAT WAS DONE WITH THE PILOTS ON SITE AND IN WHICH THEY WITNESSED THAT THE HELICOPTER DID NOT HAVE A LEAK AFTER ADDING 10 GALLONS OF FUEL, THIS FUEL WAS DRAINED AND REFILLED WITH 55 GALLONS OF FUEL AND OBTAINED THE SAME RESULTS. THE NTSB WAS ADVISED ON THE FINDINGS AND BY THEN HE WAS IN CONTACT WITH BELL AND ROLLS ROYCE REPRESENTATIVE. THE NTSB DESIGNATED INSPECTOR WAS MR. RALPH HICKS AND HE MENTIONED THAT HE WAS NOT PLANNING TO COME TO THE ACCIDENT SITE. PICTURES WERE TAKEN AND PROVIDED TO MR. HICKS. HE REQUESTED TO HAVE THE HELICOPTER UNDER CUSTODY. ON AUGUST 21, 2012, AFTER NTSB REPRESENTATIVE, MR. HICKS, VERIFIED THE PROVIDED EVIDENCE AND PROCEEDED TO RELEASE THE HELICOPTER TO THE^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ASK THE NTSB IF HE CAN PERFORMED AN ENGINE RUN OR TEAR DOWN, MR. HICKS GRANTED THE PETITION BUT ONLY WITH AN FAA INSPECTOR PRESENT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ INSTALLED THE ENGINE IN ANOTHER HELICOPTER AND PERFORMED AN ENGINE RUN WITH MR. TORRES PRESENCE. THEY RAN THE ENGINE FOR APPROXIMATELY 40 MINUTES, ALL WITHIN PARAMETERS. A 44709 IS PLANNED FOR THE PILOT IN COMMAND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.