What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
During aerial operations covering a news event, smoke was observed coming from the exhaust area of the engine of N725TV while it was in a hover. The pilot initiated an emergency landing, setting the aircraft down under power in a parking lot located at the intersection of highland and franklin in holywood, CA, without further incident. Pilot privacy data omitted contacted and interviwed. privacy data omitted Stated that while he was hovering during a news event filming, another television helicopter crew informed him by radio that his engine had abrubtly started smoking. Pilot privacy data omitted immediately took action to land the aircraft in an empty parking lot approximately one block from his hover location. At no time did his engine lose power or oil pressure, and he set down under power with a normal touchdown and descent rate. There was no infiltration of smoke into the passenger/crew compartment of the aircraft. The aircraft mechanic armen privacy data omitted of:helitender inc.FAA crs # 1HTR181B10300 airpark wayhangar 3PACOIMA, CA 91331MOVED the aircraft by truck to thier hangar at whiteman airport for teardown and inspection. The rear bearing was coked up slightly and the coking broke loose and partially blocked the oil return line so the oil blew past the labrinyth seal. There was no failure of the labrinyth seal itself, the oil pressure simply overcame the air pressure of the seal. Aircraft lost about 1.25Q of oil, there was no damage done to the rear bearing. They (helitender inc.) will do a cleaning or exchange of the rear bearing housing and the engine will be returned to service after operaional checks. The incident looed worse than it was due to the burning oil in the hot section creating a large cloud of white smoke.
As the FAA filed it
DURING AERIAL OPERATIONS COVERING A NEWS EVENT, SMOKE WAS OBSERVED COMING FROM THE EXHAUST AREA OF THE ENGINE OF N725TV WHILE IT WAS IN A HOVER. THE PILOT INITIATED AN EMERGENCY LANDING, SETTING THE AIRCRAFT DOWN UNDER POWER IN A PARKING LOT LOCATED AT THE INTERSECTION OF HIGHLAND AND FRANKLIN IN HOLYWOOD, CA, WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CONTACTED AND INTERVIWED. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT WHILE HE WAS HOVERING DURING A NEWS EVENT FILMING, ANOTHER TELEVISION HELICOPTER CREW INFORMED HIM BY RADIO THAT HIS ENGINE HAD ABRUBTLY STARTED SMOKING. PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IMMEDIATELY TOOK ACTION TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT IN AN EMPTY PARKING LOT APPROXIMATELY ONE BLOCK FROM HIS HOVER LOCATION. AT NO TIME DID HIS ENGINE LOSE POWER OR OIL PRESSURE, AND HE SET DOWN UNDER POWER WITH A NORMAL TOUCHDOWN AND DESCENT RATE. THERE WAS NO INFILTRATION OF SMOKE INTO THE PASSENGER/CREW COMPARTMENT OF THE AIRCRAFT.THE AIRCRAFT MECHANIC ARMEN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF:HELITENDER INC.FAA CRS # 1HTR181B10300 AIRPARK WAYHANGAR 3PACOIMA, CA 91331MOVED THE AIRCRAFT BY TRUCK TO THIER HANGAR AT WHITEMAN AIRPORT FOR TEARDOWN AND INSPECTION. THE REAR BEARING WAS COKED UP SLIGHTLY AND THE COKING BROKE LOOSE AND PARTIALLY BLOCKED THE OIL RETURN LINE SO THE OIL BLEW PAST THE LABRINYTH SEAL.THERE WAS NO FAILURE OF THE LABRINYTH SEAL ITSELF, THE OIL PRESSURE SIMPLY OVERCAME THE AIR PRESSURE OF THE SEAL.AIRCRAFT LOST ABOUT 1.25Q OF OIL, THERE WAS NO DAMAGE DONE TO THE REAR BEARING.THEY (HELITENDER INC.) WILL DO A CLEANING OR EXCHANGE OF THE REAR BEARING HOUSING AND THE ENGINE WILL BE RETURNED TO SERVICE AFTER OPERAIONAL CHECKS. THE INCIDENT LOOED WORSE THAN IT WAS DUE TO THE BURNING OIL IN THE HOT SECTION CREATING A LARGE CLOUD OF WHITE SMOKE.