What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Shortly after take off about 200 yards the pilot experienced a sudden power surge followed immediately by abnormal engine noise and vibration.
Pilots stated the following,
Sensing that an emanate engine failure was going to occur, I immediately began a right turn back to flat terrain on
The company's property. About halfway back to the level terrain (aircraft was currently transitioning over the
Riverbed and heavy brush) the engine continued making abnormal noise with an obvious loss of power. As I
Approached the landing site I had to bleed off some of the available rotor RPM to clear the embankment.
As the aircraft reached the level terrain, I was at approximately 20 mph over the ground, and I made a slight pitch up to decrease forward movement. As the aircraft settled from approximately 5' AGL I applied forward cyclic to make contact with the ground with skids level and pulled the remaining collective in an attempt to cushion the touch down. There was not enough rotor RPM remaining to cushion, and I estimate that the aircraft fell through from approximately 4-5 feet.
Touch down was moderately violent as the main rotor drooped to make contact with the upper wire strike protection fixture, and subsequently separated from the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
SHORTLY AFTER TAKE OFF ABOUT 200 YARDS THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN POWER SURGE FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY ABNORMAL ENGINE NOISE AND VIBRATION.
PILOTS STATED THE FOLLOWING,
SENSING THAT AN EMANATE ENGINE FAILURE WAS GOING TO OCCUR, I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN A RIGHT TURN BACK TO FLAT TERRAIN ON
THE COMPANY'S PROPERTY. ABOUT HALFWAY BACK TO THE LEVEL TERRAIN (AIRCRAFT WAS CURRENTLY TRANSITIONING OVER THE
RIVERBED AND HEAVY BRUSH) THE ENGINE CONTINUED MAKING ABNORMAL NOISE WITH AN OBVIOUS LOSS OF POWER. AS I
APPROACHED THE LANDING SITE I HAD TO BLEED OFF SOME OF THE AVAILABLE ROTOR RPM TO CLEAR THE EMBANKMENT.
AS THE AIRCRAFT REACHED THE LEVEL TERRAIN, I WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH OVER THE GROUND, AND I MADE A SLIGHT PITCH UP TO DECREASE FORWARD MOVEMENT. AS THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED FROM APPROXIMATELY 5' AGL I APPLIED FORWARD CYCLIC TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND WITH SKIDS LEVEL AND PULLED THE REMAINING COLLECTIVE IN AN ATTEMPT TO CUSHION THE TOUCH DOWN. THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH ROTOR RPM REMAINING TO CUSHION, AND I ESTIMATE THAT THE AIRCRAFT FELL THROUGH FROM APPROXIMATELY 4-5 FEET.
TOUCH DOWN WAS MODERATELY VIOLENT AS THE MAIN ROTOR DROOPED TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE UPPER WIRE STRIKE PROTECTION FIXTURE, AND SUBSEQUENTLY SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.