What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot reported that while en route to his home, about two minutes from his planned landing zone, the low-fuel light illuminated. He flew past the intended landing zone, which was unlit, and continued searching for the landing zone until the engine suffered a total loss of power due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot initiated an autorotation, and, while searching for a landing reference, the helicopter impacted a power pole. The helicopter came to rest upright and sustained substantial damage to the tail boom, fuselage, and main rotor system. The pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented by monitoring the fuel level and having lighting at his landing zone.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE EN ROUTE TO HIS HOME, ABOUT TWO MINUTES FROM HIS PLANNED LANDING ZONE, THE LOW-FUEL LIGHT ILLUMINATED. HE FLEW PAST THE INTENDED LANDING ZONE, WHICH WAS UNLIT, AND CONTINUED SEARCHING FOR THE LANDING ZONE UNTIL THE ENGINE SUFFERED A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE PILOT INITIATED AN AUTOROTATION, AND, WHILE SEARCHING FOR A LANDING REFERENCE, THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED A POWER POLE. THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST UPRIGHT AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE TAIL BOOM, FUSELAGE, AND MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE ACCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY MONITORING THE FUEL LEVEL AND HAVING LIGHTING AT HIS LANDING ZONE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.