What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On January 11, 2024, at approximately 1959 CST, an privacy data omittedhelicopter utilized the emergency procedure “autorotation” and landed hard with resulting breakup due to g forces. The sequence of events started when the crew made the decision to head back to their base from the assistance they were providing to a government agency. This was initiated when the PIC began a climb for the short return flight. The crew experienced a large right yawing motion, while simultanesouly getting the low rotor speed horn and engine caution light. This was the begining of the autorotation and the resulting accident.
The aircraft wreckage was transported to a hangar on a nearby airport and secured. Arrangements were made for a supervised teardown. This resulted in many things being ruled out, but no clear cause. The whole engine was transported to the manufacture's facility where it underwent a test run. During this run the engine would not make more than 45% ng. The accident fuel control unit (fcu) was removed and replaced with a known good unit and the run was repeated. The engine performed properly on this test. The accident fcu was then disassembled and the broken control level arm was discovered. The broken part was sent to the NTSB labortory in washing d.c. were it unterwent analysis which revealed fatigue failure.
As the FAA filed it
ON JANUARY 11, 2024, AT APPROXIMATELY 1959 CST, AN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^HELICOPTER UTILIZED THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURE “AUTOROTATION” AND LANDED HARD WITH RESULTING BREAKUP DUE TO G FORCES. THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS STARTED WHEN THE CREW MADE THE DECISION TO HEAD BACK TO THEIR BASE FROM THE ASSISTANCE THEY WERE PROVIDING TO A GOVERNMENT AGENCY. THIS WAS INITIATED WHEN THE PIC BEGAN A CLIMB FOR THE SHORT RETURN FLIGHT. THE CREW EXPERIENCED A LARGE RIGHT YAWING MOTION, WHILE SIMULTANESOULY GETTING THE LOW ROTOR SPEED HORN AND ENGINE CAUTION LIGHT. THIS WAS THE BEGINING OF THE AUTOROTATION AND THE RESULTING ACCIDENT.
THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS TRANSPORTED TO A HANGAR ON A NEARBY AIRPORT AND SECURED. ARRANGEMENTS WERE MADE FOR A SUPERVISED TEARDOWN. THIS RESULTED IN MANY THINGS BEING RULED OUT, BUT NO CLEAR CAUSE. THE WHOLE ENGINE WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE MANUFACTURE'S FACILITY WHERE IT UNDERWENT A TEST RUN. DURING THIS RUN THE ENGINE WOULD NOT MAKE MORE THAN 45% NG. THE ACCIDENT FUEL CONTROL UNIT (FCU) WAS REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH A KNOWN GOOD UNIT AND THE RUN WAS REPEATED. THE ENGINE PERFORMED PROPERLY ON THIS TEST. THE ACCIDENT FCU WAS THEN DISASSEMBLED AND THE BROKEN CONTROL LEVEL ARM WAS DISCOVERED. THE BROKEN PART WAS SENT TO THE NTSB LABORTORY IN WASHING D.C. WERE IT UNTERWENT ANALYSIS WHICH REVEALED FATIGUE FAILURE.
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 N204TX · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.