What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot had flown three golfers from palm Springs (psp) to the rams hill golf course in Borrego Springs, CA earlier that morning. After dropping off the passengers, the aircraft was repositioned back to psp. The aircraft later returned to the golf course to pick them up. The aircraft departed the golf course with the same three passengers onboard. The pilot explained that he observed the clutch light illuminate followed by increased engine RPM and the low rotor RPM caution light/horn coming on. He stated that he entered autorotation and that during the flare he lost heading control. The aircraft contacted the ground, spreading the skids, and rolled onto its right side. The main rotor blades contacted the tailboom during the crash sequence, chopping off the tail.
The crash site was approximately three miles northeast of the golf course. The tail rotor assembly was found approximately fifty feet beyond the main wreckage in the direction of travel.
The pilot was not injured. All three passengers walked away from the helicopter and were subsequently transported by helicopter air ambulance to a hospital in palm Springs.
The cause of the loss of power to the drivetrain and resulting low-rotor RPM is unknown.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT HAD FLOWN THREE GOLFERS FROM PALM SPRINGS (PSP) TO THE RAMS HILL GOLF COURSE IN BORREGO SPRINGS, CA EARLIER THAT MORNING. AFTER DROPPING OFF THE PASSENGERS, THE AIRCRAFT WAS REPOSITIONED BACK TO PSP. THE AIRCRAFT LATER RETURNED TO THE GOLF COURSE TO PICK THEM UP. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE GOLF COURSE WITH THE SAME THREE PASSENGERS ONBOARD. THE PILOT EXPLAINED THAT HE OBSERVED THE CLUTCH LIGHT ILLUMINATE FOLLOWED BY INCREASED ENGINE RPM AND THE LOW ROTOR RPM CAUTION LIGHT/HORN COMING ON. HE STATED THAT HE ENTERED AUTOROTATION AND THAT DURING THE FLARE HE LOST HEADING CONTROL. THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE GROUND, SPREADING THE SKIDS, AND ROLLED ONTO ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED THE TAILBOOM DURING THE CRASH SEQUENCE, CHOPPING OFF THE TAIL.
THE CRASH SITE WAS APPROXIMATELY THREE MILES NORTHEAST OF THE GOLF COURSE. THE TAIL ROTOR ASSEMBLY WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY FIFTY FEET BEYOND THE MAIN WRECKAGE IN THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL.
THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. ALL THREE PASSENGERS WALKED AWAY FROM THE HELICOPTER AND WERE SUBSEQUENTLY TRANSPORTED BY HELICOPTER AIR AMBULANCE TO A HOSPITAL IN PALM SPRINGS.
THE CAUSE OF THE LOSS OF POWER TO THE DRIVETRAIN AND RESULTING LOW-ROTOR RPM IS UNKNOWN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.