What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft departed hio enroute to uao. Then uao to pdx. Crossed pdx mid field, continued north to vancouver. Turned west to scappoose was supposed to turn south enroute back to hio at scappoose. Accident occurred before scappoose turn. Witness reported first seeing aircraft coming in about 100' above ground, it dropped to about 50' for a few seconds then descended vertically behind a treeline to the ground.
Damage to aircraft consistent with a rapid vertical descent with very little evidence of forward airspeed. Ground scars indicated a vertical descent. Forward rotor blade contacted ground, it made a scar approximately 8-10" deep and came back out of impression. Tail rotor blades, one was damaged heavily and embedded in the soil. The second was bent and showed no other evidence of impact with the ground.
Visually inspected fuel tanks for fuel. Both tanks contained fuel, was unable to determine exact amount remaining at crash scene.
During recovery of wreckage, no evidence of external leakage observed. Throttle position on carburator appeared to be in the on position during impact. Linkage was intact and connected.
Alternator pulley was damaged by rotating flywheel during impact. This provided indication there was some engine rotation forces during impact.
Examination of flight controls showed no evidence of failure. Control paths appeared intact.
Examination of wreckage provided no indications of any mechanical failure.
Review of maintenance records produced no significant findings or concerns.
Air traffic recordings revealed no unusual communications or mayday calls by pilot.
Investigation will continue with pilot interview when his medical condition allows, and a coordinated teardown examination at storage location.
Amended report will follow.
Completed pilot interview, he has no memory of the event that will benefit the investigation at this time.
Completed teardown analysis of wreckage with NTSB. Verified fuel remaining to be adequate, magnetos producing spark, engine oil clean and level satifactory, engine rotataion verified, engine valves open and close during rotataion. No evidence of mechanical failure identified.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT DEPARTED HIO ENROUTE TO UAO. THEN UAO TO PDX. CROSSED PDX MID FIELD, CONTINUED NORTH TO VANCOUVER. TURNED WEST TO SCAPPOOSE WAS SUPPOSED TO TURN SOUTH ENROUTE BACK TO HIO AT SCAPPOOSE. ACCIDENT OCCURRED BEFORE SCAPPOOSE TURN. WITNESS REPORTED FIRST SEEING AIRCRAFT COMING IN ABOUT 100' ABOVE GROUND, IT DROPPED TO ABOUT 50' FOR A FEW SECONDS THEN DESCENDED VERTICALLY BEHIND A TREELINE TO THE GROUND.
DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT CONSISTENT WITH A RAPID VERTICAL DESCENT WITH VERY LITTLE EVIDENCE OF FORWARD AIRSPEED. GROUND SCARS INDICATED A VERTICAL DESCENT. FORWARD ROTOR BLADE CONTACTED GROUND, IT MADE A SCAR APPROXIMATELY 8-10" DEEP AND CAME BACK OUT OF IMPRESSION. TAIL ROTOR BLADES, ONE WAS DAMAGED HEAVILY AND EMBEDDED IN THE SOIL. THE SECOND WAS BENT AND SHOWED NO OTHER EVIDENCE OF IMPACT WITH THE GROUND.
VISUALLY INSPECTED FUEL TANKS FOR FUEL. BOTH TANKS CONTAINED FUEL, WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE EXACT AMOUNT REMAINING AT CRASH SCENE.
DURING RECOVERY OF WRECKAGE, NO EVIDENCE OF EXTERNAL LEAKAGE OBSERVED. THROTTLE POSITION ON CARBURATOR APPEARED TO BE IN THE ON POSITION DURING IMPACT. LINKAGE WAS INTACT AND CONNECTED.
ALTERNATOR PULLEY WAS DAMAGED BY ROTATING FLYWHEEL DURING IMPACT. THIS PROVIDED INDICATION THERE WAS SOME ENGINE ROTATION FORCES DURING IMPACT.
EXAMINATION OF FLIGHT CONTROLS SHOWED NO EVIDENCE OF FAILURE. CONTROL PATHS APPEARED INTACT.
EXAMINATION OF WRECKAGE PROVIDED NO INDICATIONS OF ANY MECHANICAL FAILURE.
REVIEW OF MAINTENANCE RECORDS PRODUCED NO SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS OR CONCERNS.
AIR TRAFFIC RECORDINGS REVEALED NO UNUSUAL COMMUNICATIONS OR MAYDAY CALLS BY PILOT.
INVESTIGATION WILL CONTINUE WITH PILOT INTERVIEW WHEN HIS MEDICAL CONDITION ALLOWS, AND A COORDINATED TEARDOWN EXAMINATION AT STORAGE LOCATION.
AMENDED REPORT WILL FOLLOW.
COMPLETED PILOT INTERVIEW, HE HAS NO MEMORY OF THE EVENT THAT WILL BENEFIT THE INVESTIGATION AT THIS TIME.
COMPLETED TEARDOWN ANALYSIS OF WRECKAGE WITH NTSB. VERIFIED FUEL REMAINING TO BE ADEQUATE, MAGNETOS PRODUCING SPARK, ENGINE OIL CLEAN AND LEVEL SATIFACTORY, ENGINE ROTATAION VERIFIED, ENGINE VALVES OPEN AND CLOSE DURING ROTATAION. NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL FAILURE IDENTIFIED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.