Incident Overview
During a flight to ferry the helicopter back to its home base, the pilot landed to take on additional fuel. After liftoff, at an altitude of approximately 100 to 150 feet above ground level, the pilot experienced a complete loss of engine power.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident examination revealed that the carburetor air box had been installed with an incorrect gasket and was mispositioned. One of the four attachment bolts was missing. The gasket was partially ingested into the carburetor throat. Additionally, a foreign material, identified as a dusting product, was found coating the carburetor throat area, having entered through the void left by the missing bolt and incorrect gasket.
Findings
The examination determined that the improper installation of the carburetor air box, including the wrong gasket and mispositioning, combined with the missing attachment bolt, led to the ingestion of gasket material and foreign matter into the carburetor, resulting in a loss of engine power.