Flight and Pilot Actions
The solo pilot was operating a turbine-powered helicopter equipped with dual controls, seated in the left crew seat. The rotorcraft flight manual specifies that the minimum flight crew consists of one pilot who shall operate the helicopter from the right crew seat. The N2 governor linear actuator control switch is located on the collective control for the right crew seat only. The pilot reported that to manipulate this switch from the left seat, he had to remove his left hand from the left collective, place it on the left cyclic, then move his right hand from the left cyclic to the right collective.
Initial Incident
While maintaining a 6-foot hover above a frozen lake, the pilot became distracted while adjusting the N2 rotor rpm using the linear actuator control switch. The helicopter became unstable and began to rapidly descend. The pilot attempted to recover, but the helicopter's skids struck the ice. After impact, he regained control and established a stable hover above the ice.
Subsequent Power Loss
Believing only the skids were damaged, the pilot elected to return to his departure airport, approximately 19 miles away, where emergency services would be available. During the return flight, as the helicopter climbed to about 50 feet above ground level, all engine power was lost. The pilot entered an emergency autorotation and selected a snow-covered area as an emergency landing site.
Postaccident Findings
The pilot's postaccident inspection revealed that the initial impact with the ice had crushed the aft landing gear cross-tube assembly into the aft fuselage. This subsequently ruptured the fuel cell, resulting in the loss of all fuel onboard. The pilot stated there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.