Incident Overview
A helicopter pilot was on the return leg of a round trip from Las Vegas to Mesquite, Nevada, and back. While cruising at approximately 500 feet above ground level (AGL), the engine lost power, prompting the pilot to initiate an autorotative landing on downsloping terrain.
Sequence of Events
As the helicopter descended, the pilot flared at about 50 feet AGL. Subsequently, the helicopter landed hard and sustained damage. The pilot later stated that during the landing, he applied collective pitch too soon, which resulted in the hard touchdown.
Examination Findings
An examination of the helicopter after the incident revealed that only 1 2/3 gallons of fuel remained. Additionally, inspection of the low fuel warning light bulb showed that it was broken; there was no evidence that the filament had stretched, indicating the bulb failure likely preceded the flight.
Conclusion
No additional factors were identified in the source material. The incident involved a hard landing following engine power loss during autorotation, with fuel exhaustion and a nonfunctional low fuel warning light noted.