What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
10/17/2017 - Statement from PIC:
?During cruise flight at 100 KTS, 22? Mp and 1-200 fpm decent down to 1000? We began to feel a strong vibration. I took controls and initiated a decent to land, regi made a call to alert approach (119.1) that we would make a precautionary landing. A cross check of all instruments showed nothing out of the ordinary, however 5-10 seconds later the engine stopped abruptly. I entered an autorotation, turned directly to the Waipio soccer fields and made a mayday call with our location of intended landing. The vibrations stopped immediately following engine failure and we made the soccer fields with a full 20+ knot headwind component. Engine off touchdown was soft with 2-3 feet ground run and no damage to the people, aircraft or field. Our rotor RPM did not exceed any limitations and the only damage was that caused to the engine during the failure while in cruise flight. I made one final radio call alerting 119.1 that we were on the ground, everyone safe and no further assistance necessary.?
10/17/2017 - ASI rdp - N422PE was transported back to jrf from the Waipio community recreational field on a flatbed trailer and placed in owners t-hangar approximately 9 miles away.
10/18/2017 - I arrived at the owners t-hangar at 1200 to start my investigation. Aircraft was in excellent condition, there was no signs of structural damage, the skids had no scratches, dents, and no evidence it landed in a community recreational park. The main and tail rotors to include the tail boom were intact and also in excellent condition. The pilot did mention the helicopter vibrating and the engine sudden stoppage. I did not see any evidence of cracked engine parts or signs of fluid leaking.
Recommendation was made by engine manufacturer to ship engine serial number L-36586-48-E to its repair facility. Manufacturer suspects faulty connecting rod bushings associated with AD 2017-16-11 may be the cause of the sudden engine vibration causing PIC to shutdown the engine and make a successful landing.
Helicopter has logged less than 100 hours since purchased new jan 2017.
Airframe and engine log book entrys was checked and verified reflecting all maintenance actions prior to and after incident with zero discrepancies noted.
As the FAA filed it
10/17/2017 - STATEMENT FROM PIC:
?DURING CRUISE FLIGHT AT 100 KTS, 22? MP AND 1-200 FPM DECENT DOWN TO 1000? WE BEGAN TO FEEL A STRONG VIBRATION. I TOOK CONTROLS AND INITIATED A DECENT TO LAND, REGI MADE A CALL TO ALERT APPROACH (119.1) THAT WE WOULD MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. A CROSS CHECK OF ALL INSTRUMENTS SHOWED NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY, HOWEVER 5-10 SECONDS LATER THE ENGINE STOPPED ABRUPTLY. I ENTERED AN AUTOROTATION, TURNED DIRECTLY TO THE WAIPIO SOCCER FIELDS AND MADE A MAYDAY CALL WITH OUR LOCATION OF INTENDED LANDING. THE VIBRATIONS STOPPED IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING ENGINE FAILURE AND WE MADE THE SOCCER FIELDS WITH A FULL 20+ KNOT HEADWIND COMPONENT. ENGINE OFF TOUCHDOWN WAS SOFT WITH 2-3 FEET GROUND RUN AND NO DAMAGE TO THE PEOPLE, AIRCRAFT OR FIELD. OUR ROTOR RPM DID NOT EXCEED ANY LIMITATIONS AND THE ONLY DAMAGE WAS THAT CAUSED TO THE ENGINE DURING THE FAILURE WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT. I MADE ONE FINAL RADIO CALL ALERTING 119.1 THAT WE WERE ON THE GROUND, EVERYONE SAFE AND NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE NECESSARY.?
10/17/2017 - ASI RDP - N422PE WAS TRANSPORTED BACK TO JRF FROM THE WAIPIO COMMUNITY RECREATIONAL FIELD ON A FLATBED TRAILER AND PLACED IN OWNERS T-HANGAR APPROXIMATELY 9 MILES AWAY.
10/18/2017 - I ARRIVED AT THE OWNERS T-HANGAR AT 1200 TO START MY INVESTIGATION. AIRCRAFT WAS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION, THERE WAS NO SIGNS OF STRUCTURAL DAMAGE, THE SKIDS HAD NO SCRATCHES, DENTS, AND NO EVIDENCE IT LANDED IN A COMMUNITY RECREATIONAL PARK. THE MAIN AND TAIL ROTORS TO INCLUDE THE TAIL BOOM WERE INTACT AND ALSO IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. THE PILOT DID MENTION THE HELICOPTER VIBRATING AND THE ENGINE SUDDEN STOPPAGE. I DID NOT SEE ANY EVIDENCE OF CRACKED ENGINE PARTS OR SIGNS OF FLUID LEAKING.
RECOMMENDATION WAS MADE BY ENGINE MANUFACTURER TO SHIP ENGINE SERIAL NUMBER L-36586-48-E TO ITS REPAIR FACILITY. MANUFACTURER SUSPECTS FAULTY CONNECTING ROD BUSHINGS ASSOCIATED WITH AD 2017-16-11 MAY BE THE CAUSE OF THE SUDDEN ENGINE VIBRATION CAUSING PIC TO SHUTDOWN THE ENGINE AND MAKE A SUCCESSFUL LANDING.
HELICOPTER HAS LOGGED LESS THAN 100 HOURS SINCE PURCHASED NEW JAN 2017.
AIRFRAME AND ENGINE LOG BOOK ENTRYS WAS CHECKED AND VERIFIED REFLECTING ALL MAINTENANCE ACTIONS PRIOR TO AND AFTER INCIDENT WITH ZERO DISCREPANCIES NOTED.