Accident Details
A single-engine turbine-powered helicopter experienced an engine power loss while on final approach to an airport. The 164-hour private pilot reported that when the helicopter was seven miles from the airport, the fuel boost pump caution light illuminated and the fuel gauge indicated approximately 15 gallons of fuel remaining. The pilot elected to continue flying toward the airport.
Pilot Report
While on final approach, the engine lost power. The pilot entered an autorotation but determined that the descent angle would have placed the helicopter onto a busy four-lane highway. To avoid the highway, the pilot increased the collective, which increased altitude and allowed the helicopter to cross over the highway and a fence. However, this maneuver reduced inertia in the main rotor system. The pilot then flared over a wet, grassy field about 30 feet, leveled the helicopter, and landed with some forward speed.
Post-Accident Examination
During touchdown, the skids dug into the ground, causing the helicopter to come to an abrupt stop, topple over, and come to rest upside down. The tail boom separated and came to rest approximately 20 feet from the fuselage. Examination of the helicopter revealed no fuel in the fuel nozzle or in the external fuel filter. There was no indication of a fuel spill during the mishap sequence.