What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 3, 2013, about 1800 eastern daylight time, a Sikorsky aircraft corporation (formerly Schweizer aircraft corporation) 269C, N888ZW, registered to and operated by point of view helicopter services, LLC, collided with terrain near Burnham, Maine. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and flight plan information is unknown for the 14 code of federal regulation (CFR) part 91 aerial observation bear spotting flight that originated about 1600 from the waterville robert lafleur airport, waterville, Maine. The helicopter sustained substantial damage and the commercial pilot sustained serious injuries while the passenger sustained minor injuries.
The passenger reported that while flying straight but descending over trees using audio equipment to track a bear equipped with a radio transmitter, she heard a sound from the helicopter unlike she had heard since takeoff. The helicopter began turning counterclockwise and she asked the pilot what had occurred and he said he did not know. The helicopter descended through trees and impacted the ground. 07/04/2013; 10:00, maa arrived at the accident site and began documenting aircraft condition and obtaining factual data. The rotorcraft came to rest on an easterly heading and approximately 130 degrees left side down in a wooded area with trees approximately 40-50 feet in hight. The left side of the cockpit made direct impact with the ground and was heavily damaged. A steady drip of fuel was leaking from the right tanks and there was evidence of fuel leaking from the left tank by a blue stain around the cap. Local law enforcement and fire chief expressed safety and environmental concern over the leaking fuel and decided to pump the tanks to stop the leaks. The left tank was removed to facilitate the removal of the fuel. The tail rotor was completely intact with one small smudge on one of the blades. There was very little tree damage and no evidence of ground scars from the main rotor blades. The main rotor blade exhibited very little leading edge damage, two of the three blades were still attached to the mast head.
It appears that the shaft from the engine to the lower belt drive system is sheared. Communicated all factual data with assigned NTSB inspector.
07/12/2013; The aircraft was removed from the crash site and transported to auburn-lewiston (lew) hangar for further investigation.
07/17/2013; A team including reps from Lycoming, sikorski and the mechanic who performed maintenance began disassembling the aircraft in a hangar in auburn, Maine. It was determined that the shaft from the engine to the lower drive assembly was completely intact with now visible signs of stress. NTSB investigation is ongoing.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 3, 2013, ABOUT 1800 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION (FORMERLY SCHWEIZER AIRCRAFT CORPORATION) 269C, N888ZW, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY POINT OF VIEW HELICOPTER SERVICES, LLC, COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN NEAR BURNHAM, MAINE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND FLIGHT PLAN INFORMATION IS UNKNOWN FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATION (CFR) PART 91 AERIAL OBSERVATION BEAR SPOTTING FLIGHT THAT ORIGINATED ABOUT 1600 FROM THE WATERVILLE ROBERT LAFLEUR AIRPORT, WATERVILLE, MAINE. THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE COMMERCIAL PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES WHILE THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES.
THE PASSENGER REPORTED THAT WHILE FLYING STRAIGHT BUT DESCENDING OVER TREES USING AUDIO EQUIPMENT TO TRACK A BEAR EQUIPPED WITH A RADIO TRANSMITTER, SHE HEARD A SOUND FROM THE HELICOPTER UNLIKE SHE HAD HEARD SINCE TAKEOFF. THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TURNING COUNTERCLOCKWISE AND SHE ASKED THE PILOT WHAT HAD OCCURRED AND HE SAID HE DID NOT KNOW. THE HELICOPTER DESCENDED THROUGH TREES AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. 07/04/2013; 10:00, MAA ARRIVED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE AND BEGAN DOCUMENTING AIRCRAFT CONDITION AND OBTAINING FACTUAL DATA. THE ROTORCRAFT CAME TO REST ON AN EASTERLY HEADING AND APPROXIMATELY 130 DEGREES LEFT SIDE DOWN IN A WOODED AREA WITH TREES APPROXIMATELY 40-50 FEET IN HIGHT. THE LEFT SIDE OF THE COCKPIT MADE DIRECT IMPACT WITH THE GROUND AND WAS HEAVILY DAMAGED. A STEADY DRIP OF FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM THE RIGHT TANKS AND THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF FUEL LEAKING FROM THE LEFT TANK BY A BLUE STAIN AROUND THE CAP. LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIRE CHIEF EXPRESSED SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN OVER THE LEAKING FUEL AND DECIDED TO PUMP THE TANKS TO STOP THE LEAKS. THE LEFT TANK WAS REMOVED TO FACILITATE THE REMOVAL OF THE FUEL. THE TAIL ROTOR WAS COMPLETELY INTACT WITH ONE SMALL SMUDGE ON ONE OF THE BLADES. THERE WAS VERY LITTLE TREE DAMAGE AND NO EVIDENCE OF GROUND SCARS FROM THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE EXHIBITED VERY LITTLE LEADING EDGE DAMAGE, TWO OF THE THREE BLADES WERE STILL ATTACHED TO THE MAST HEAD.
IT APPEARS THAT THE SHAFT FROM THE ENGINE TO THE LOWER BELT DRIVE SYSTEM IS SHEARED. COMMUNICATED ALL FACTUAL DATA WITH ASSIGNED NTSB INSPECTOR.
07/12/2013; THE AIRCRAFT WAS REMOVED FROM THE CRASH SITE AND TRANSPORTED TO AUBURN-LEWISTON (LEW) HANGAR FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION.
07/17/2013; A TEAM INCLUDING REPS FROM LYCOMING, SIKORSKI AND THE MECHANIC WHO PERFORMED MAINTENANCE BEGAN DISASSEMBLING THE AIRCRAFT IN A HANGAR IN AUBURN, MAINE. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE SHAFT FROM THE ENGINE TO THE LOWER DRIVE ASSEMBLY WAS COMPLETELY INTACT WITH NOW VISIBLE SIGNS OF STRESS. NTSB INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.