What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot was in cruise flight recovering from power line survey commercial flight to indian head, MD (2W5), due to incoming weather system. Approximately 6 mi se of adw and 4 NM from destination heard loud bang, experienced a left yaw and determined that an engine loss of power or failure had occurred. During autorotation flare, tail rotor contacted pond short of fence. Autorotation terminated on fence. Main rotor blades flexed down and cut off tail boom. All passengers evacuated aircraft with minor injuries. Landing was not "hard" - skids were not spread. Subsequent review of door bell camera video from neighborhood seems to indicate engine producing noise during autorotation. Engine run and subsequent tear-down was inconclusive.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT RECOVERING FROM POWER LINE SURVEY COMMERCIAL FLIGHT TO INDIAN HEAD, MD (2W5), DUE TO INCOMING WEATHER SYSTEM. APPROXIMATELY 6 MI SE OF ADW AND 4 NM FROM DESTINATION HEARD LOUD BANG, EXPERIENCED A LEFT YAW AND DETERMINED THAT AN ENGINE LOSS OF POWER OR FAILURE HAD OCCURRED. DURING AUTOROTATION FLARE, TAIL ROTOR CONTACTED POND SHORT OF FENCE. AUTOROTATION TERMINATED ON FENCE. MAIN ROTOR BLADES FLEXED DOWN AND CUT OFF TAIL BOOM. ALL PASSENGERS EVACUATED AIRCRAFT WITH MINOR INJURIES. LANDING WAS NOT "HARD" - SKIDS WERE NOT SPREAD. SUBSEQUENT REVIEW OF DOOR BELL CAMERA VIDEO FROM NEIGHBORHOOD SEEMS TO INDICATE ENGINE PRODUCING NOISE DURING AUTOROTATION. ENGINE RUN AND SUBSEQUENT TEAR-DOWN WAS INCONCLUSIVE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N5027P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.