Incident Details
The pilot was flying for a local news service when he heard a loud bang. He subsequently performed an off-airport precautionary landing. After landing, he reduced the throttle setting to ground idle and locked the flight controls. He then exited the helicopter to locate the source of the noise. The pilot reported that he found nothing wrong and re-entered the helicopter to resume the flight.
Pilot Actions
Upon re-entering, the pilot brought the helicopter into a hover and started to transition into forward flight. At that point, the helicopter rolled to the left and impacted the ground.
Investigation Findings
An examination of the helicopter systems revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions, failures, or damage that would explain the loss of control.