What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 02/06/2013 the pilot of a Hiller UH-12B registration N5072R, was performing air tour rides for Florida biplanes,inc, at Merritt Island Airport (kcoi). The first 5 flights were uneventful but on the 6th flight the helicopter lost power on climbout and was forced to do an emergency landing.
The incident flight was at 1800LT - on warm up, no abnormalities or unusual sounds or vibrations were noted. During takeoff all temps & pressures were confirmed normal and power appeared normal. The hover was stable with nothing unusual noted. The departure was normal & smooth with a check prior to the incident.
While climbing through approximately 75 to 100 feet, the pilot heard a popping sound and the engine lost power. To maintain rotor RPM the collective was lowered and right pedal pressure was applied to counter a left yaw that occurred. Upon approaching the ground back pressure was applied to the cyclic to reduce the airspeed and prepare for ground contact. Unable to obtain flight direction heading control with right rudder pressure, the pilot applied forward cyclic to level the aircraft, planning for a level ship landing,and pulled collective prior to ground contact.
Ground contact was made with a slight forward airspeed & a slight left yaw during the ground run. The left skid collapsed at the end of the slide. At this point the pilot reached down and pulled & confirmed all engine controls were closed.
The pilot checked on the condition of the passengers. Because the main rotor blades were still turning, the pilot instructed both occupants to remain belted in their seats until the aircraft stabilized. The pilot then turned off the master switch and once the aircraft had stabilized & the rotors had stopped all three left the aircraft and walked clear.
As the FAA filed it
ON 02/06/2013 THE PILOT OF A HILLER UH-12B REGISTRATION N5072R, WAS PERFORMING AIR TOUR RIDES FOR FLORIDA BIPLANES,INC, AT MERRITT ISLAND AIRPORT (KCOI). THE FIRST 5 FLIGHTS WERE UNEVENTFUL BUT ON THE 6TH FLIGHT THE HELICOPTER LOST POWER ON CLIMBOUT AND WAS FORCED TO DO AN EMERGENCY LANDING.
THE INCIDENT FLIGHT WAS AT 1800LT - ON WARM UP, NO ABNORMALITIES OR UNUSUAL SOUNDS OR VIBRATIONS WERE NOTED. DURING TAKEOFF ALL TEMPS & PRESSURES WERE CONFIRMED NORMAL AND POWER APPEARED NORMAL. THE HOVER WAS STABLE WITH NOTHING UNUSUAL NOTED. THE DEPARTURE WAS NORMAL & SMOOTH WITH A CHECK PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT.
WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH APPROXIMATELY 75 TO 100 FEET, THE PILOT HEARD A POPPING SOUND AND THE ENGINE LOST POWER. TO MAINTAIN ROTOR RPM THE COLLECTIVE WAS LOWERED AND RIGHT PEDAL PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO COUNTER A LEFT YAW THAT OCCURRED. UPON APPROACHING THE GROUND BACK PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE CYCLIC TO REDUCE THE AIRSPEED AND PREPARE FOR GROUND CONTACT. UNABLE TO OBTAIN FLIGHT DIRECTION HEADING CONTROL WITH RIGHT RUDDER PRESSURE, THE PILOT APPLIED FORWARD CYCLIC TO LEVEL THE AIRCRAFT, PLANNING FOR A LEVEL SHIP LANDING,AND PULLED COLLECTIVE PRIOR TO GROUND CONTACT.
GROUND CONTACT WAS MADE WITH A SLIGHT FORWARD AIRSPEED & A SLIGHT LEFT YAW DURING THE GROUND RUN. THE LEFT SKID COLLAPSED AT THE END OF THE SLIDE. AT THIS POINT THE PILOT REACHED DOWN AND PULLED & CONFIRMED ALL ENGINE CONTROLS WERE CLOSED.
THE PILOT CHECKED ON THE CONDITION OF THE PASSENGERS. BECAUSE THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES WERE STILL TURNING, THE PILOT INSTRUCTED BOTH OCCUPANTS TO REMAIN BELTED IN THEIR SEATS UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT STABILIZED. THE PILOT THEN TURNED OFF THE MASTER SWITCH AND ONCE THE AIRCRAFT HAD STABILIZED & THE ROTORS HAD STOPPED ALL THREE LEFT THE AIRCRAFT AND WALKED CLEAR.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.