What happened
During an external load operation involving a long line, the pilot was maneuvering the helicopter sideways downhill. As the pilot approached the log landing area in a turn to set the load down, the aircraft continued moving forward and began to lose altitude. In an attempt to compensate for the descent, the pilot lowered the collective and increased the throttle, but the aircraft failed to respond to these inputs. During the descent, the pilot performed a maneuver to avoid colliding with a loader.
A witness observed the aircraft steadily losing altitude from several hundred feet. The witness reported hearing the engine quit, followed by the sound of impact a few seconds later. The accident resulted in 1 injury as the pilot was forced to climb out of the pilot window after the aircraft lifted sharply to the left.
The investigation
A post-accident examination of the engine and a subsequent engine run were conducted. The investigation revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunction or failure within the engine or its related components.