What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 3, 2014, civil aircraft N7598B, a Bell 47G helicopter, departed san gabriel valley airport (EMT) at 1618UTC for a flight to compton woodley airport (cmp). On board were the pilot, privacy data omitted, and his spouse privacy data omitted. The flight headed southbound from EMT and operated normally, climbing to between 600 and 700 AGL, until passing the I-10 freeway when the pilot felt the airframe shudder. The pilot in command, privacy data omitted, started to turn around to return to EMT when two loud pops were heard coming the engine along with a loss of power. The engine continued to operate and the pilot saw a place to land at the Whittier narrows park. The pilot made a rapid partial power descent to the open field on the edge of the park. Shortly before landing two more loud engine pops were heard. The flight was too low for a full auto rotation and landed in the soft field with what appeared to be a soft touchdown with substantial forward momentum. This forward momentum caused the aircraft to travel approximately 68 feet from the touchdown point whereupon the aircraft skids encountered rising terrian and dug into the soft ground. This brought the aircraft to an immediate stop and rolled it onto the right side. The main rotor blade impacted the ground under power and broke into numerous pieces, the largest of which landed approximately 106 feet forward of the aircraft. The aircraft suffered substantialimpact damage to the airframe. There was no post crash fire and neither occupants of the aircraft were seriously injured. Teh passenger, privacy data omitted, had minor injuries that did not require hospitalization. Post crash investigation showed the aircraft had adequate fuel and the fuel selector was positioned correctly. There were no obvious external signs of the cause of the engine power loss. NTSB inspector albert nixon will follow up with the FAA iic for scheduling an internal inspection of the engine and components to investigate the cause of engine power loss.
On oct 9, 2014, inspector sonneson of the los angeles FSDO assisted the NTSB in the inspection of the aircraft. The aircraft had been moved to compton airport, compton CA. NTSB hired a local mechanic to determine the cause. It was determined that the left magneto was intermittent.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 3, 2014, CIVIL AIRCRAFT N7598B, A BELL 47G HELICOPTER, DEPARTED SAN GABRIEL VALLEY AIRPORT (EMT) AT 1618UTC FOR A FLIGHT TO COMPTON WOODLEY AIRPORT (CMP). ON BOARD WERE THE PILOT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, AND HIS SPOUSE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE FLIGHT HEADED SOUTHBOUND FROM EMT AND OPERATED NORMALLY, CLIMBING TO BETWEEN 600 AND 700 AGL, UNTIL PASSING THE I-10 FREEWAY WHEN THE PILOT FELT THE AIRFRAME SHUDDER. THE PILOT IN COMMAND, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, STARTED TO TURN AROUND TO RETURN TO EMT WHEN TWO LOUD POPS WERE HEARD COMING THE ENGINE ALONG WITH A LOSS OF POWER. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO OPERATE AND THE PILOT SAW A PLACE TO LAND AT THE WHITTIER NARROWS PARK. THE PILOT MADE A RAPID PARTIAL POWER DESCENT TO THE OPEN FIELD ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK. SHORTLY BEFORE LANDING TWO MORE LOUD ENGINE POPS WERE HEARD. THE FLIGHT WAS TOO LOW FOR A FULL AUTO ROTATION AND LANDED IN THE SOFT FIELD WITH WHAT APPEARED TO BE A SOFT TOUCHDOWN WITH SUBSTANTIAL FORWARD MOMENTUM. THIS FORWARD MOMENTUM CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO TRAVEL APPROXIMATELY 68 FEET FROM THE TOUCHDOWN POINT WHEREUPON THE AIRCRAFT SKIDS ENCOUNTERED RISING TERRIAN AND DUG INTO THE SOFT GROUND. THIS BROUGHT THE AIRCRAFT TO AN IMMEDIATE STOP AND ROLLED IT ONTO THE RIGHT SIDE. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE IMPACTED THE GROUND UNDER POWER AND BROKE INTO NUMEROUS PIECES, THE LARGEST OF WHICH LANDED APPROXIMATELY 106 FEET FORWARD OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED SUBSTANTIALIMPACT DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME. THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE AND NEITHER OCCUPANTS OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED. TEH PASSENGER, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, HAD MINOR INJURIES THAT DID NOT REQUIRE HOSPITALIZATION. POST CRASH INVESTIGATION SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT HAD ADEQUATE FUEL AND THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS POSITIONED CORRECTLY. THERE WERE NO OBVIOUS EXTERNAL SIGNS OF THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE POWER LOSS. NTSB INSPECTOR ALBERT NIXON WILL FOLLOW UP WITH THE FAA IIC FOR SCHEDULING AN INTERNAL INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE AND COMPONENTS TO INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE OF ENGINE POWER LOSS.
ON OCT 9, 2014, INSPECTOR SONNESON OF THE LOS ANGELES FSDO ASSISTED THE NTSB IN THE INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN MOVED TO COMPTON AIRPORT, COMPTON CA. NTSB HIRED A LOCAL MECHANIC TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE LEFT MAGNETO WAS INTERMITTENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.