What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The rotorcraft had departed from merritt island airport (kcoi) enroute to the privacy data omitted in lakeland, FL. Approximately 2.6 miles west of runway 29 at kcoi, the helicopter experienced a power loss, causing it to descend vertically in a spinning motion from approximately 600 feet AGL, impacting the ground and overturning onto its starboard side in an unoccupied local baseball field over home plate.
The initial inspection found the aircraft on its side, with fuel present in the fuel tanks. Due to damage, flight control continuity checks could not be performed. The tail rotor had struck the tall fence behind home plate upon entry to the field, resulting in the separation of the tail rotor, tail rotor gearbox, and tail boom structure. All components of the tail rotor powertrain and rotor system were located mostly within 20 feet of the helicopter. The general aircraft inspection revealed, no obvious defects were found to explain the power loss. Aircraft requires further inspection to determine cause which the NTSB will perform.
The pilot and passenger were airlifted to a local hospital with serious injuries. The pilot sustained head and chest lacerations and spinal injuries. The passenger suffered minor lacerations and a deep laceration on her outer upper thigh, for which she underwent surgery.
As the FAA filed it
THE ROTORCRAFT HAD DEPARTED FROM MERRITT ISLAND AIRPORT (KCOI) ENROUTE TO THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IN LAKELAND, FL. APPROXIMATELY 2.6 MILES WEST OF RUNWAY 29 AT KCOI, THE HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED A POWER LOSS, CAUSING IT TO DESCEND VERTICALLY IN A SPINNING MOTION FROM APPROXIMATELY 600 FEET AGL, IMPACTING THE GROUND AND OVERTURNING ONTO ITS STARBOARD SIDE IN AN UNOCCUPIED LOCAL BASEBALL FIELD OVER HOME PLATE.
THE INITIAL INSPECTION FOUND THE AIRCRAFT ON ITS SIDE, WITH FUEL PRESENT IN THE FUEL TANKS. DUE TO DAMAGE, FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY CHECKS COULD NOT BE PERFORMED. THE TAIL ROTOR HAD STRUCK THE TALL FENCE BEHIND HOME PLATE UPON ENTRY TO THE FIELD, RESULTING IN THE SEPARATION OF THE TAIL ROTOR, TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX, AND TAIL BOOM STRUCTURE. ALL COMPONENTS OF THE TAIL ROTOR POWERTRAIN AND ROTOR SYSTEM WERE LOCATED MOSTLY WITHIN 20 FEET OF THE HELICOPTER. THE GENERAL AIRCRAFT INSPECTION REVEALED, NO OBVIOUS DEFECTS WERE FOUND TO EXPLAIN THE POWER LOSS. AIRCRAFT REQUIRES FURTHER INSPECTION TO DETERMINE CAUSE WHICH THE NTSB WILL PERFORM.
THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE AIRLIFTED TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL WITH SERIOUS INJURIES. THE PILOT SUSTAINED HEAD AND CHEST LACERATIONS AND SPINAL INJURIES. THE PASSENGER SUFFERED MINOR LACERATIONS AND A DEEP LACERATION ON HER OUTER UPPER THIGH, FOR WHICH SHE UNDERWENT SURGERY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.