What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
11/10/2021 Received report of a helicopter incident that that took place near Covelo, California on 10/28/2021
The incident included 4 persons including the pilot, and included a forced landing in a dry river bed.
At 12:00 pm on 10/28/2021, the PIC, pilot in command, planned to take 3 individuals on a photography flight in northern California. This was a door off operation and the left cabin door was removed for photography.
The pilot picked up the 3 people at ukiah municipal airport. The PIC mentioned during the briefing that no articles of clothing can be removed during flight due to the doors off operation.
The PIC said about 20 minutes into the flight the second person in the aft of the helicopter decided to remove their rain coat. Right before the incident the helicopter was traveling approximately 85 knots at an attitude of 2700 MSL 1500 AGL. The rain coat was sucked out the door and was caught on the horizontal stabilizer of the tail boom.
At that point, the PIC heard the person gasp and say ?it?s gone.? The PIC then felt the resistance on the cyclic from the rain coat. The PIC decided to make a forced landing. The PIC made a controlled decent to the ground, safely landing the aircraft in the river bed. When the aircraft touched ground, the force of impact dislodged the jacket from the horizontal stabilizer and the jacket was ingested into the tail rotor.
The PIC said he heard a loud pop, and looked out the window. He could see the tail rotor was moving slowing than the main rotor. At that point he decided to shut down the engine. From photos provided it appears the driveshaft from engine to tail rotor had been twisted from torsion stress and broke into two parts.
The geographical location of the force landing is 39.6785, -123.1407
The aircraft was externally slung loaded with another helicopter and was moved to the closest airport, round valley airport. There the aircraft was put onto a trailer and transported to advanced helicopters in woodland, CA.
As of right now a preliminary report of assessed damage has not been made by advanced helicopters.
Further conversation with the PIC has determined that the restraint system used by the passengers in the rear of the aircraft was a 3 point restraint. This is the original system of the helicopter, and includes a lap belt and shoulder harness.
The system is a single point release system, but once released the lap belt and shoulder harness have to be removed from each other.
The PIC stated the rear passengers were wearing their restraint system at the time of incident. As of right now I consider this matter closed unless more information of value becomes available.
As the FAA filed it
11/10/2021 RECEIVED REPORT OF A HELICOPTER INCIDENT THAT THAT TOOK PLACE NEAR COVELO, CALIFORNIA ON 10/28/2021
THE INCIDENT INCLUDED 4 PERSONS INCLUDING THE PILOT, AND INCLUDED A FORCED LANDING IN A DRY RIVER BED.
AT 12:00 PM ON 10/28/2021, THE PIC, PILOT IN COMMAND, PLANNED TO TAKE 3 INDIVIDUALS ON A PHOTOGRAPHY FLIGHT IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. THIS WAS A DOOR OFF OPERATION AND THE LEFT CABIN DOOR WAS REMOVED FOR PHOTOGRAPHY.
THE PILOT PICKED UP THE 3 PEOPLE AT UKIAH MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. THE PIC MENTIONED DURING THE BRIEFING THAT NO ARTICLES OF CLOTHING CAN BE REMOVED DURING FLIGHT DUE TO THE DOORS OFF OPERATION.
THE PIC SAID ABOUT 20 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT THE SECOND PERSON IN THE AFT OF THE HELICOPTER DECIDED TO REMOVE THEIR RAIN COAT. RIGHT BEFORE THE INCIDENT THE HELICOPTER WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 85 KNOTS AT AN ATTITUDE OF 2700 MSL 1500 AGL. THE RAIN COAT WAS SUCKED OUT THE DOOR AND WAS CAUGHT ON THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER OF THE TAIL BOOM.
AT THAT POINT, THE PIC HEARD THE PERSON GASP AND SAY ?IT?S GONE.? THE PIC THEN FELT THE RESISTANCE ON THE CYCLIC FROM THE RAIN COAT. THE PIC DECIDED TO MAKE A FORCED LANDING. THE PIC MADE A CONTROLLED DECENT TO THE GROUND, SAFELY LANDING THE AIRCRAFT IN THE RIVER BED. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED GROUND, THE FORCE OF IMPACT DISLODGED THE JACKET FROM THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND THE JACKET WAS INGESTED INTO THE TAIL ROTOR.
THE PIC SAID HE HEARD A LOUD POP, AND LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW. HE COULD SEE THE TAIL ROTOR WAS MOVING SLOWING THAN THE MAIN ROTOR. AT THAT POINT HE DECIDED TO SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE. FROM PHOTOS PROVIDED IT APPEARS THE DRIVESHAFT FROM ENGINE TO TAIL ROTOR HAD BEEN TWISTED FROM TORSION STRESS AND BROKE INTO TWO PARTS.
THE GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION OF THE FORCE LANDING IS 39.6785, -123.1407
THE AIRCRAFT WAS EXTERNALLY SLUNG LOADED WITH ANOTHER HELICOPTER AND WAS MOVED TO THE CLOSEST AIRPORT, ROUND VALLEY AIRPORT. THERE THE AIRCRAFT WAS PUT ONTO A TRAILER AND TRANSPORTED TO ADVANCED HELICOPTERS IN WOODLAND, CA.
AS OF RIGHT NOW A PRELIMINARY REPORT OF ASSESSED DAMAGE HAS NOT BEEN MADE BY ADVANCED HELICOPTERS.
FURTHER CONVERSATION WITH THE PIC HAS DETERMINED THAT THE RESTRAINT SYSTEM USED BY THE PASSENGERS IN THE REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS A 3 POINT RESTRAINT. THIS IS THE ORIGINAL SYSTEM OF THE HELICOPTER, AND INCLUDES A LAP BELT AND SHOULDER HARNESS.
THE SYSTEM IS A SINGLE POINT RELEASE SYSTEM, BUT ONCE RELEASED THE LAP BELT AND SHOULDER HARNESS HAVE TO BE REMOVED FROM EACH OTHER.
THE PIC STATED THE REAR PASSENGERS WERE WEARING THEIR RESTRAINT SYSTEM AT THE TIME OF INCIDENT. AS OF RIGHT NOW I CONSIDER THIS MATTER CLOSED UNLESS MORE INFORMATION OF VALUE BECOMES AVAILABLE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.