What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 27, 2017 at approximately 1000 MST, N521AR, a schweitzer 269C helicopter, serial number S1785, made a hard landing in a cow pasture near florence, AZ. The helicopter sustained substantial damage and the pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained minor injuries. In a statement from the pilot, he reports that just prior to the accident while in cruise at approximately 2000-2100 feet MSL and 65-70 knots the engine ?sounded different? And he noticed the engine and rotor RPM?s had dropped. He then twisted the throttle to increase engine power, but there was no response from the engine. He had lost altitude and picked a spot to touchdown. He flared and impacted the ground hard at which point, the helicopter rolled onto its right side. The tail rotor gearbox and blades departed from the tailboom and the tailboom was broken from the fuselage. The landing gear skids exhibited impact damage. The main rotor blades exhibited rotational damage.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 27, 2017 AT APPROXIMATELY 1000 MST, N521AR, A SCHWEITZER 269C HELICOPTER, SERIAL NUMBER S1785, MADE A HARD LANDING IN A COW PASTURE NEAR FLORENCE, AZ. THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT, SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. IN A STATEMENT FROM THE PILOT, HE REPORTS THAT JUST PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT WHILE IN CRUISE AT APPROXIMATELY 2000-2100 FEET MSL AND 65-70 KNOTS THE ENGINE ?SOUNDED DIFFERENT? AND HE NOTICED THE ENGINE AND ROTOR RPM?S HAD DROPPED. HE THEN TWISTED THE THROTTLE TO INCREASE ENGINE POWER, BUT THERE WAS NO RESPONSE FROM THE ENGINE. HE HAD LOST ALTITUDE AND PICKED A SPOT TO TOUCHDOWN. HE FLARED AND IMPACTED THE GROUND HARD AT WHICH POINT, THE HELICOPTER ROLLED ONTO ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX AND BLADES DEPARTED FROM THE TAILBOOM AND THE TAILBOOM WAS BROKEN FROM THE FUSELAGE. THE LANDING GEAR SKIDS EXHIBITED IMPACT DAMAGE. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES EXHIBITED ROTATIONAL DAMAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.