What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot departed home location enroute to kunv FBO with all instruments in the green. The pilot picked up a passenger with a destination at krvl. Departure was to the southeast with a slow climb to clear the mountain. The pilot applied carb heat due to temperature and dew point. As the pilot approached the mountain, he increased throttle and collective, he then heard an engine noise that was not identifyable. The engine then backfired and did not produce enough power to clear the high side of the mountain. The pilot elected to go over the low side of the mountain. The pilot noticed a housing development cul de sac with no power remaining. The tail rotor hit an embankment and the pilot shut the aircraft down and he and the passenger evacuated the aircraft.
Damage included the tail rotor blades, a hole in the tail boom, 90 degree gearbox and both front and rear crosstubes bent.
There were no airworthiness issues found with the engine during the investigation. As a result, carburator icing may still have caused the loss of power even when the pilot appropriately applied carburator heat.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT DEPARTED HOME LOCATION ENROUTE TO KUNV FBO WITH ALL INSTRUMENTS IN THE GREEN. THE PILOT PICKED UP A PASSENGER WITH A DESTINATION AT KRVL. DEPARTURE WAS TO THE SOUTHEAST WITH A SLOW CLIMB TO CLEAR THE MOUNTAIN. THE PILOT APPLIED CARB HEAT DUE TO TEMPERATURE AND DEW POINT. AS THE PILOT APPROACHED THE MOUNTAIN, HE INCREASED THROTTLE AND COLLECTIVE, HE THEN HEARD AN ENGINE NOISE THAT WAS NOT IDENTIFYABLE. THE ENGINE THEN BACKFIRED AND DID NOT PRODUCE ENOUGH POWER TO CLEAR THE HIGH SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN. THE PILOT ELECTED TO GO OVER THE LOW SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN.THE PILOT NOTICED A HOUSING DEVELOPMENT CUL DE SAC WITH NO POWER REMAINING. THE TAIL ROTOR HIT AN EMBANKMENT AND THE PILOT SHUT THE AIRCRAFT DOWN AND HE AND THE PASSENGER EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT.
DAMAGE INCLUDED THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES, A HOLE IN THE TAIL BOOM, 90 DEGREE GEARBOX AND BOTH FRONT AND REAR CROSSTUBES BENT.
THERE WERE NO AIRWORTHINESS ISSUES FOUND WITH THE ENGINE DURING THE INVESTIGATION. AS A RESULT, CARBURATOR ICING MAY STILL HAVE CAUSED THE LOSS OF POWER EVEN WHEN THE PILOT APPROPRIATELY APPLIED CARBURATOR HEAT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.