What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N818MC flight with 01 pilot and 02 forestry service passengers onboard originated from huntsville municipal airport (kuts), huntsville, TX, with a destination of sam houston national forest. Aircraft was participating in a controlled burn operation with the national forest service. After approximately two hours of flight, the aircraft was maneuvering and lost power at an altitude of 100 feet, which was about forty feet above the tree tops. Aircraft entered the trees and came to rest on its right side sustaining significant damage. Damage to the aircraft and powertrain indicates evidence of loss of power/low main rotor RPM. Examination of the engine compartment led to discovery of the engine main fuel supply line from the engine to the firewall to be loose at the firewall. The main fuel line b-nut at the firewall was able to be turned by hand and had no safetywire present.
As the FAA filed it
N818MC FLIGHT WITH 01 PILOT AND 02 FORESTRY SERVICE PASSENGERS ONBOARD ORIGINATED FROM HUNTSVILLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KUTS), HUNTSVILLE, TX, WITH A DESTINATION OF SAM HOUSTON NATIONAL FOREST. AIRCRAFT WAS PARTICIPATING IN A CONTROLLED BURN OPERATION WITH THE NATIONAL FOREST SERVICE. AFTER APPROXIMATELY TWO HOURS OF FLIGHT, THE AIRCRAFT WAS MANEUVERING AND LOST POWER AT AN ALTITUDE OF 100 FEET, WHICH WAS ABOUT FORTY FEET ABOVE THE TREE TOPS. AIRCRAFT ENTERED THE TREES AND CAME TO REST ON ITS RIGHT SIDE SUSTAINING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND POWERTRAIN INDICATES EVIDENCE OF LOSS OF POWER/LOW MAIN ROTOR RPM. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT LED TO DISCOVERY OF THE ENGINE MAIN FUEL SUPPLY LINE FROM THE ENGINE TO THE FIREWALL TO BE LOOSE AT THE FIREWALL. THE MAIN FUEL LINE B-NUT AT THE FIREWALL WAS ABLE TO BE TURNED BY HAND AND HAD NO SAFETYWIRE PRESENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.