What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 13th, 2022, the regional operations center was notified that an experimental helicopter, privacy data omitted, caught fire at Cranland Airport located in Hanson, Massachusetts. According to the preliminary notice, the operator was warming up the engine when he smelled fuel. The operator got out and the helicopter caught fire and was destroyed. There were no injuries reported. The NTSB was notified, but due to the operator not intending to fly, they were not involved with the investigation. The Cranland Airport manager corroborated that the helicopter was taken out of the hangar to run the engine as it had not been used recently.
According to the pilot's statement, he took the helicopter out of the hangar in order to run the engine as he had not flown it recently. He noted that he had no intention of flying. He entered the helicopter and turned the electrical system on. He attested that he smelled fuel so he exited the aircraft. After he exited, he said he realized he had left the switches (about 8 or 9 of them) on so he went back to turn them off. As he was turning the switches off, he heard an audible pop and a fire started. He exited the aircraft without injury.
The aircraft was destroyed by the fire. The bottom part of the cabin frame was visible but the rest of the cabin was no longer evident. The rotor blades were burned from the rotor to approximately the middle of each blade. The passenger-side skid was burned. The blackened area starts after the forward strut and extends for the remainder of the skid. The pilot side skid did not exhibit signs of fire or heat. The tail section, starting at where the back of the cabin was, is intact and did not show signs of fire or heat. Debris from the fire was limited to within a rotor blade?s length around where the cabin frame was located.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 13TH, 2022, THE REGIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER WAS NOTIFIED THAT AN EXPERIMENTAL HELICOPTER, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, CAUGHT FIRE AT CRANLAND AIRPORT LOCATED IN HANSON, MASSACHUSETTS. ACCORDING TO THE PRELIMINARY NOTICE, THE OPERATOR WAS WARMING UP THE ENGINE WHEN HE SMELLED FUEL. THE OPERATOR GOT OUT AND THE HELICOPTER CAUGHT FIRE AND WAS DESTROYED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE NTSB WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DUE TO THE OPERATOR NOT INTENDING TO FLY, THEY WERE NOT INVOLVED WITH THE INVESTIGATION. THE CRANLAND AIRPORT MANAGER CORROBORATED THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS TAKEN OUT OF THE HANGAR TO RUN THE ENGINE AS IT HAD NOT BEEN USED RECENTLY.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S STATEMENT, HE TOOK THE HELICOPTER OUT OF THE HANGAR IN ORDER TO RUN THE ENGINE AS HE HAD NOT FLOWN IT RECENTLY. HE NOTED THAT HE HAD NO INTENTION OF FLYING. HE ENTERED THE HELICOPTER AND TURNED THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ON. HE ATTESTED THAT HE SMELLED FUEL SO HE EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. AFTER HE EXITED, HE SAID HE REALIZED HE HAD LEFT THE SWITCHES (ABOUT 8 OR 9 OF THEM) ON SO HE WENT BACK TO TURN THEM OFF. AS HE WAS TURNING THE SWITCHES OFF, HE HEARD AN AUDIBLE POP AND A FIRE STARTED. HE EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INJURY.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY THE FIRE. THE BOTTOM PART OF THE CABIN FRAME WAS VISIBLE BUT THE REST OF THE CABIN WAS NO LONGER EVIDENT. THE ROTOR BLADES WERE BURNED FROM THE ROTOR TO APPROXIMATELY THE MIDDLE OF EACH BLADE. THE PASSENGER-SIDE SKID WAS BURNED. THE BLACKENED AREA STARTS AFTER THE FORWARD STRUT AND EXTENDS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SKID. THE PILOT SIDE SKID DID NOT EXHIBIT SIGNS OF FIRE OR HEAT. THE TAIL SECTION, STARTING AT WHERE THE BACK OF THE CABIN WAS, IS INTACT AND DID NOT SHOW SIGNS OF FIRE OR HEAT. DEBRIS FROM THE FIRE WAS LIMITED TO WITHIN A ROTOR BLADE?S LENGTH AROUND WHERE THE CABIN FRAME WAS LOCATED.