What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 05/26/2017 the albany flight standards district office investigated an incident that occurred on 05/21/2017. N699WC an experimental rotorcraft model: Safari 400 with two occupants on board made an emergency landing into a field in the town of Kinderhook, NY. No injuries reported. The pilot holding a private pilot certificate with single engine land and rotorcraft ratings reported: shortly after take off he heard a loud bang and the helicopter began to shudder. The pilot began to autorotate to make an emergency landing then heard a few more loud bangs but indicated the rotorcraft was still developing power. Just prior to ground contact the pilot increased power and landed the rotorcraft safely. Upon examining the rotorcraft the drive coupling connecting the tail rotor to the transmission shows signs of internal failure. The tail rotor drive shaft from transmission assyembly appeared to be seized.
As the FAA filed it
ON 05/26/2017 THE ALBANY FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE INVESTIGATED AN INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED ON 05/21/2017. N699WC AN EXPERIMENTAL ROTORCRAFT MODEL: SAFARI 400 WITH TWO OCCUPANTS ON BOARD MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING INTO A FIELD IN THE TOWN OF KINDERHOOK, NY. NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE PILOT HOLDING A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH SINGLE ENGINE LAND AND ROTORCRAFT RATINGS REPORTED: SHORTLY AFTER TAKE OFF HE HEARD A LOUD BANG AND THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO SHUDDER. THE PILOT BEGAN TO AUTOROTATE TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING THEN HEARD A FEW MORE LOUD BANGS BUT INDICATED THE ROTORCRAFT WAS STILL DEVELOPING POWER. JUST PRIOR TO GROUND CONTACT THE PILOT INCREASED POWER AND LANDED THE ROTORCRAFT SAFELY. UPON EXAMINING THE ROTORCRAFT THE DRIVE COUPLING CONNECTING THE TAIL ROTOR TO THE TRANSMISSION SHOWS SIGNS OF INTERNAL FAILURE. THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT FROM TRANSMISSION ASSYEMBLY APPEARED TO BE SEIZED.
Other reports on N699WC · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.