Incident Overview
During a flight to its home base, the pilot of a helicopter determined that the fuel remaining would not be sufficient to reach the destination. The pilot also assessed that the aircraft had traveled too far to return to the departure airport. Consequently, the pilot chose to conduct a precautionary landing on a schoolyard baseball field.
Sequence of Events
As the helicopter descended for the landing, when it was approximately six feet above the ground, the engine lost power. The pilot stated that he immediately attempted to complete the landing. The helicopter made contact with the ground in a level attitude, bounced once, and then came to a stop. After the event, the pilot informed local police that he had run out of fuel.
Damage and Examination
A post-incident examination revealed that the helicopter had sustained substantial damage to the tail boom. Inspection of the helicopter's systems found no anomalies, indicating no mechanical or system malfunctions were present.