What happened
On May 16, 2014, at approximately 11:50 a.m., an Enstrom 480B helicopter, registration N306RP, was conducting a commercial flight from the IFA Villa Bávaro hotel toward Punta Cana International Airport. Approximately two minutes into the flight, the aircraft suffered a total loss of engine power. The pilot attempted an autorotation, but the helicopter struck the ground at Cabeza de Toro, located roughly 1.5 miles north of the airport.
The impact occurred on a rocky, coral-based terrain. The single occupant, the pilot, sustained minor injuries, specifically a contusion to the right knee. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, including a severed tail boom caused by contact with the main rotor blades, a broken landing gear, and deformed rotor blades.