What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
7/24/2023 Started accident investigation of privacy data omitted a Bell 206 L4 helicopter at privacy data omitted Caldwell, Ohio. This aircraft is currently operated on a 133/135 and 135 certificate by privacy data omitted worland, WY, FAA certificateprivacy data omitted (133)privacy data omitted(135) and privacy data omitted (137). 7/24/2023 scene details to be entered on the 8020-23. The Bell 206 L4 had a longline load of bags attached for part 133 operations related to oil and gas exploration work in the area. Based upon the initial investigation the aircraft had a very low forward airspeed, if almost 0. It came down from a height from the trees at nearly 60 feet in the forest, straight down in a near horizontal fashion. The m/r rotor inertia was sufficient to displace m/r blade fragments all over the accident site with tree scars and removed tree limbs. The t/r showed no signs of damage other than the impact of the ground, as a result of the tailboom separated as part of the impact with the ground. Turning the t/r driveshaft by hand showed, m/r rotation and engine connection as well into the engine gearbox. Once it hit the ground the fuselage rolled over almost upside down, with the front of the aircraft ripped open, taking the instrument panel and other items completely away from the helicopter structure including the t/r pedals. The engine continued running long enough, to tangle the longline up into the main rotor mast, with burn marks on the ground from the exhaust. Naturally with the aircraft upside down as a result, fuel starvation may have been the reason the engine finally quit and no fuel reaching the boost pump. 7/26/2023 conducted meeting with ASIprivacy data omitted and privacy data omitted, director of operations for privacy data omitted FAA privacy data omitted. Reviewed aircraft logbooks and records for 14 CFR 91.409 (f)(3) compliance and aircraft status for 14 CFR 91.417 compliance. Found acceptable at this time. Still awaiting engine logbook information from privacy data omitted for 135.421 compliance with ops spec. D101 for privacy data omitted stated that he would provide the engine logbook records for review by email since last overhaul. 7/27/2023 discussed findings of investigation and technical issues from photographs with NTSB investigator privacy data omitted by telephone.
As the FAA filed it
7/24/2023 STARTED ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ A BELL 206 L4 HELICOPTER AT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CALDWELL, OHIO. THIS AIRCRAFT IS CURRENTLY OPERATED ON A 133/135 AND 135 CERTIFICATE BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WORLAND, WY, FAA CERTIFICATE^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (133)^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^(135) AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (137). 7/24/2023 SCENE DETAILS TO BE ENTERED ON THE 8020-23. THE BELL 206 L4 HAD A LONGLINE LOAD OF BAGS ATTACHED FOR PART 133 OPERATIONS RELATED TO OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION WORK IN THE AREA. BASED UPON THE INITIAL INVESTIGATION THE AIRCRAFT HAD A VERY LOW FORWARD AIRSPEED, IF ALMOST 0. IT CAME DOWN FROM A HEIGHT FROM THE TREES AT NEARLY 60 FEET IN THE FOREST, STRAIGHT DOWN IN A NEAR HORIZONTAL FASHION. THE M/R ROTOR INERTIA WAS SUFFICIENT TO DISPLACE M/R BLADE FRAGMENTS ALL OVER THE ACCIDENT SITE WITH TREE SCARS AND REMOVED TREE LIMBS. THE T/R SHOWED NO SIGNS OF DAMAGE OTHER THAN THE IMPACT OF THE GROUND, AS A RESULT OF THE TAILBOOM SEPARATED AS PART OF THE IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. TURNING THE T/R DRIVESHAFT BY HAND SHOWED, M/R ROTATION AND ENGINE CONNECTION AS WELL INTO THE ENGINE GEARBOX. ONCE IT HIT THE GROUND THE FUSELAGE ROLLED OVER ALMOST UPSIDE DOWN, WITH THE FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT RIPPED OPEN, TAKING THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND OTHER ITEMS COMPLETELY AWAY FROM THE HELICOPTER STRUCTURE INCLUDING THE T/R PEDALS. THE ENGINE CONTINUED RUNNING LONG ENOUGH, TO TANGLE THE LONGLINE UP INTO THE MAIN ROTOR MAST, WITH BURN MARKS ON THE GROUND FROM THE EXHAUST. NATURALLY WITH THE AIRCRAFT UPSIDE DOWN AS A RESULT, FUEL STARVATION MAY HAVE BEEN THE REASON THE ENGINE FINALLY QUIT AND NO FUEL REACHING THE BOOST PUMP. 7/26/2023 CONDUCTED MEETING WITH ASI^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS FOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FAA ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. REVIEWED AIRCRAFT LOGBOOKS AND RECORDS FOR 14 CFR 91.409 (F)(3) COMPLIANCE AND AIRCRAFT STATUS FOR 14 CFR 91.417 COMPLIANCE. FOUND ACCEPTABLE AT THIS TIME. STILL AWAITING ENGINE LOGBOOK INFORMATION FROM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FOR 135.421 COMPLIANCE WITH OPS SPEC. D101 FOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT HE WOULD PROVIDE THE ENGINE LOGBOOK RECORDS FOR REVIEW BY EMAIL SINCE LAST OVERHAUL. 7/27/2023 DISCUSSED FINDINGS OF INVESTIGATION AND TECHNICAL ISSUES FROM PHOTOGRAPHS WITH NTSB INVESTIGATOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ BY TELEPHONE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.