What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
-Pilot conducted a governor off procedure while returning from routine patrol flight. Pilot reported low rotor warning prior to accident sequence.
-Observed helicopter fuselage laying perpendicular across runway centerline. Helicopter came to rest on left hand side. Left hand side cockpit glass was broken in multiple places.
-Various minor pieces of debris were scattered within a five foot area around main wreckage.
-An approximate 3 foot section of tail boom with tail rotor attached was separated from main body of helicopter wreckage. The separated section was resting near fuselage and remaining tail boom in same general line of rest.
-Tail boom section had no evidence of rotor strike. Tail boom metal at area of separation was smashed and torn in appearance.
-Tail rotor drive shaft bearing blocks had evidence of breaking apart under load. Evidenced by drive shaft broken free of bearing blocks.
-Main rotor was separated from main body of wreckage. Both main rotor blades were completely intact. One blade did have evidence of ground strike. Main rotor was laying in grass area next to runway pavement edge. Main rotor resting approximately 30 feet to southeast of helicopter wreckage.
-Left hand skid aft end area had evidence of contact with ground and structural damage.
-Fuselage area above cockpit right hand door had evidence of minor contact with ground. Evidenced by dents, rough paint scuffs, and rough scuffs on right hand door glass.
-Engine cowling around main rotor area was intact and displayed no evidence of rotor strike.
-Reference ptrs code 201902337 for accident investigation.
-Reference ptrs code 201902549 for airman counseling.
As the FAA filed it
-PILOT CONDUCTED A GOVERNOR OFF PROCEDURE WHILE RETURNING FROM ROUTINE PATROL FLIGHT. PILOT REPORTED LOW ROTOR WARNING PRIOR TO ACCIDENT SEQUENCE.
-OBSERVED HELICOPTER FUSELAGE LAYING PERPENDICULAR ACROSS RUNWAY CENTERLINE. HELICOPTER CAME TO REST ON LEFT HAND SIDE. LEFT HAND SIDE COCKPIT GLASS WAS BROKEN IN MULTIPLE PLACES.
-VARIOUS MINOR PIECES OF DEBRIS WERE SCATTERED WITHIN A FIVE FOOT AREA AROUND MAIN WRECKAGE.
-AN APPROXIMATE 3 FOOT SECTION OF TAIL BOOM WITH TAIL ROTOR ATTACHED WAS SEPARATED FROM MAIN BODY OF HELICOPTER WRECKAGE. THE SEPARATED SECTION WAS RESTING NEAR FUSELAGE AND REMAINING TAIL BOOM IN SAME GENERAL LINE OF REST.
-TAIL BOOM SECTION HAD NO EVIDENCE OF ROTOR STRIKE. TAIL BOOM METAL AT AREA OF SEPARATION WAS SMASHED AND TORN IN APPEARANCE.
-TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT BEARING BLOCKS HAD EVIDENCE OF BREAKING APART UNDER LOAD. EVIDENCED BY DRIVE SHAFT BROKEN FREE OF BEARING BLOCKS.
-MAIN ROTOR WAS SEPARATED FROM MAIN BODY OF WRECKAGE. BOTH MAIN ROTOR BLADES WERE COMPLETELY INTACT. ONE BLADE DID HAVE EVIDENCE OF GROUND STRIKE. MAIN ROTOR WAS LAYING IN GRASS AREA NEXT TO RUNWAY PAVEMENT EDGE. MAIN ROTOR RESTING APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET TO SOUTHEAST OF HELICOPTER WRECKAGE.
-LEFT HAND SKID AFT END AREA HAD EVIDENCE OF CONTACT WITH GROUND AND STRUCTURAL DAMAGE.
-FUSELAGE AREA ABOVE COCKPIT RIGHT HAND DOOR HAD EVIDENCE OF MINOR CONTACT WITH GROUND. EVIDENCED BY DENTS, ROUGH PAINT SCUFFS, AND ROUGH SCUFFS ON RIGHT HAND DOOR GLASS.
-ENGINE COWLING AROUND MAIN ROTOR AREA WAS INTACT AND DISPLAYED NO EVIDENCE OF ROTOR STRIKE.
-REFERENCE PTRS CODE 201902337 FOR ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION.
-REFERENCE PTRS CODE 201902549 FOR AIRMAN COUNSELING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.