What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 24, 2014, about 1235 central daylight time, a Robinson R44 ii, N544BS, operated by a private individual, was substantially damaged during an autorotation near John C. Tune Airport in Nashville, Tennessee. The commercial pilot and his passenger were uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight conducted under title 14 code of federal regulations part 91. The flight originated from John C. Tune Airport (jwn) Nashville, Tennessee at 1235.
According to the pilot, during a cross country flight from Florida to Wisconsin he made a fuel stop at jwn. After departing the airport ramp the pilot flew north on a heading of 020 towards a group of broadcast towers. About 1.5 nautical miles from the airport and about 400 feet above ground level, the pilot initiated a climb to clear a hill covered by tall trees. The helicopter was flying at about 70 knots. The pilot heard "what seemed to be a backfire", then the engine started to run "very rough", which was followed by an abrupt loss of altitude. He lowered the collective and the low rotor RPM horn activated and the low rotor RPM light illuminated. The pilot then turned to the west and initiated an autorotation. He glanced at the engine/rotor RPM gauge and noticed the engine was running about 70% RPM and the rotor RPM was in the green. The engine continued to run rough. While searching for a suitable landing site, the pilot observed light traffic on a nearby 5 lane highway. Flying at about 60 knots with 100% rotor RPM, the pilot descended the helicopter towards the highway. The helicopter passed over 2 semi-trucks, and the pilot pulled collective to about 90% rotor RPM to clear wires. He then retarded the throttle and initiated a full down autorotation. During landing the helicopter dropped from about "3 ft.", landed in a level attitude, and the main rotor contacted the tail boom.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 24, 2014, ABOUT 1235 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A ROBINSON R44 II, N544BS, OPERATED BY A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING AN AUTOROTATION NEAR JOHN C. TUNE AIRPORT IN NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE UNINJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM JOHN C. TUNE AIRPORT (JWN) NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE AT 1235.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, DURING A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM FLORIDA TO WISCONSIN HE MADE A FUEL STOP AT JWN. AFTER DEPARTING THE AIRPORT RAMP THE PILOT FLEW NORTH ON A HEADING OF 020 TOWARDS A GROUP OF BROADCAST TOWERS. ABOUT 1.5 NAUTICAL MILES FROM THE AIRPORT AND ABOUT 400 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, THE PILOT INITIATED A CLIMB TO CLEAR A HILL COVERED BY TALL TREES. THE HELICOPTER WAS FLYING AT ABOUT 70 KNOTS. THE PILOT HEARD "WHAT SEEMED TO BE A BACKFIRE", THEN THE ENGINE STARTED TO RUN "VERY ROUGH", WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY AN ABRUPT LOSS OF ALTITUDE. HE LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND THE LOW ROTOR RPM HORN ACTIVATED AND THE LOW ROTOR RPM LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE PILOT THEN TURNED TO THE WEST AND INITIATED AN AUTOROTATION. HE GLANCED AT THE ENGINE/ROTOR RPM GAUGE AND NOTICED THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING ABOUT 70% RPM AND THE ROTOR RPM WAS IN THE GREEN. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN ROUGH. WHILE SEARCHING FOR A SUITABLE LANDING SITE, THE PILOT OBSERVED LIGHT TRAFFIC ON A NEARBY 5 LANE HIGHWAY. FLYING AT ABOUT 60 KNOTS WITH 100% ROTOR RPM, THE PILOT DESCENDED THE HELICOPTER TOWARDS THE HIGHWAY. THE HELICOPTER PASSED OVER 2 SEMI-TRUCKS, AND THE PILOT PULLED COLLECTIVE TO ABOUT 90% ROTOR RPM TO CLEAR WIRES. HE THEN RETARDED THE THROTTLE AND INITIATED A FULL DOWN AUTOROTATION. DURING LANDING THE HELICOPTER DROPPED FROM ABOUT "3 FT.", LANDED IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE, AND THE MAIN ROTOR CONTACTED THE TAIL BOOM.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.