Narrative:

During cruising flight at approximately 80 mph, the passenger, who was the maintenance mechanic, reported hearing a 'banging sound' from the engine area. The pilot reduced power and elected to perform precautionary landing in a horse corral. At very close range, the pilot realized the terrain was very uneven. He did not have enough power to extend to level ground. The resulting landing in a confined area damaged the landing gear and tail boom of the helicopter. The bubble enclosure was also broken. 2 FAA safety inspectors arrived and performed a cursory investigation. The aircraft was released to my custody. It was transported by trailer to my facility at gillespie field, (see) el cajon, ca. From the pilot's description, I suspected fuel starvation. I checked the carburetor and gascolator. The gascolator was clogged with foreign particles that I believe to brass (from appearance) and ferrous material that I believe to be cast iron shavings (again from appearance). The next day, more FAA safety inspectors came to examine the helicopter. They dismissed my findings as being invalid as they were not found by FAA personnel. 'Probably floor sweepings,' was their statement. They chose instead to examine every other part of the helicopter, taking special care to photograph the identification/sn plates of the component parts. The following day, more FSS safety inspectors came to again photograph the identification/sn plates, take pencil tracings of component part #'south and make statements to the effect that all the fishing industry helicopter's were ill-cared for, probably illegal machines and that we should be made an example of. When I again brought up the question of the foreign particles in the gascolator and possible source, the safety inspector told me he wanted me to drain the fuel tanks so he could look into them. I told him that I did not have any facs to drain fuel, and would not accept the responsibility to dispose of possibly contaminated fuel. He ended the discussion by telling me he would advise me of their findings. I received letters from the FAA telling me that they believe there to be false log book entries and my competence as a mechanic is in question. On the day of the incident, the helicopter was ground run for several hours, and flight tested extensively prior to the ferry flight that resulted in the damage. Immediately prior to that flight, the helicopter was refueled from a fuel truck from el cajon flying service, a standard practice here on gillespie field. In answer to the direct question of 'what of the fuel system contamination?', I was told that it was part of an ongoing investigation and that they could not discuss it with me. While the various safety inspectors were looking at the helicopter, the conversation between them was constantly derogatory about the helicopter, the operator, the mechanics, and often making statements such as 'this looks like another one of those homemade parts,' and, 'I don't know who they think they are kidding about the way they switch parts around.' I request a review of all the actions taken by all parties to this incident. You also solicit my opinion as to cause and possible prevention, and ask for my judgement of the human factors. I believe the cause was foreign particles induced into the fuel tanks which prevented adequate flow of fuel to permit the engine ot produce enough power to sustain flight. As to source of contaminants, I would first look at the discharge pump of the fuel truck. However, at this late date, that would be futile. Human performance considerations: a person entrusted with the responsibility to investigate cause of incident should be diligent to that end and not antagonize the other interested parties with a confrontational attitude and be professional enough to analyze data rather than looking only for violations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA HELICOPTER LOST POWER AND WAS DAMAGED MAKING A FORCED LNDG.

Narrative: DURING CRUISING FLT AT APPROX 80 MPH, THE PAX, WHO WAS THE MAINT MECH, RPTED HEARING A 'BANGING SOUND' FROM THE ENG AREA. THE PLT REDUCED PWR AND ELECTED TO PERFORM PRECAUTIONARY LNDG IN A HORSE CORRAL. AT VERY CLOSE RANGE, THE PLT REALIZED THE TERRAIN WAS VERY UNEVEN. HE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH PWR TO EXTEND TO LEVEL GND. THE RESULTING LNDG IN A CONFINED AREA DAMAGED THE LNDG GEAR AND TAIL BOOM OF THE HELI. THE BUBBLE ENCLOSURE WAS ALSO BROKEN. 2 FAA SAFETY INSPECTORS ARRIVED AND PERFORMED A CURSORY INVESTIGATION. THE ACFT WAS RELEASED TO MY CUSTODY. IT WAS TRANSPORTED BY TRAILER TO MY FAC AT GILLESPIE FIELD, (SEE) EL CAJON, CA. FROM THE PLT'S DESCRIPTION, I SUSPECTED FUEL STARVATION. I CHKED THE CARB AND GASCOLATOR. THE GASCOLATOR WAS CLOGGED WITH FOREIGN PARTICLES THAT I BELIEVE TO BRASS (FROM APPEARANCE) AND FERROUS MATERIAL THAT I BELIEVE TO BE CAST IRON SHAVINGS (AGAIN FROM APPEARANCE). THE NEXT DAY, MORE FAA SAFETY INSPECTORS CAME TO EXAMINE THE HELI. THEY DISMISSED MY FINDINGS AS BEING INVALID AS THEY WERE NOT FOUND BY FAA PERSONNEL. 'PROBABLY FLOOR SWEEPINGS,' WAS THEIR STATEMENT. THEY CHOSE INSTEAD TO EXAMINE EVERY OTHER PART OF THE HELI, TAKING SPECIAL CARE TO PHOTOGRAPH THE ID/SN PLATES OF THE COMPONENT PARTS. THE FOLLOWING DAY, MORE FSS SAFETY INSPECTORS CAME TO AGAIN PHOTOGRAPH THE ID/SN PLATES, TAKE PENCIL TRACINGS OF COMPONENT PART #'S AND MAKE STATEMENTS TO THE EFFECT THAT ALL THE FISHING INDUSTRY HELI'S WERE ILL-CARED FOR, PROBABLY ILLEGAL MACHINES AND THAT WE SHOULD BE MADE AN EXAMPLE OF. WHEN I AGAIN BROUGHT UP THE QUESTION OF THE FOREIGN PARTICLES IN THE GASCOLATOR AND POSSIBLE SOURCE, THE SAFETY INSPECTOR TOLD ME HE WANTED ME TO DRAIN THE FUEL TANKS SO HE COULD LOOK INTO THEM. I TOLD HIM THAT I DID NOT HAVE ANY FACS TO DRAIN FUEL, AND WOULD NOT ACCEPT THE RESPONSIBILITY TO DISPOSE OF POSSIBLY CONTAMINATED FUEL. HE ENDED THE DISCUSSION BY TELLING ME HE WOULD ADVISE ME OF THEIR FINDINGS. I RECEIVED LETTERS FROM THE FAA TELLING ME THAT THEY BELIEVE THERE TO BE FALSE LOG BOOK ENTRIES AND MY COMPETENCE AS A MECH IS IN QUESTION. ON THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT, THE HELI WAS GND RUN FOR SEVERAL HRS, AND FLT TESTED EXTENSIVELY PRIOR TO THE FERRY FLT THAT RESULTED IN THE DAMAGE. IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THAT FLT, THE HELI WAS REFUELED FROM A FUEL TRUCK FROM EL CAJON FLYING SVC, A STANDARD PRACTICE HERE ON GILLESPIE FIELD. IN ANSWER TO THE DIRECT QUESTION OF 'WHAT OF THE FUEL SYS CONTAMINATION?', I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS PART OF AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION AND THAT THEY COULD NOT DISCUSS IT WITH ME. WHILE THE VARIOUS SAFETY INSPECTORS WERE LOOKING AT THE HELI, THE CONVERSATION BTWN THEM WAS CONSTANTLY DEROGATORY ABOUT THE HELI, THE OPERATOR, THE MECHS, AND OFTEN MAKING STATEMENTS SUCH AS 'THIS LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE HOMEMADE PARTS,' AND, 'I DON'T KNOW WHO THEY THINK THEY ARE KIDDING ABOUT THE WAY THEY SWITCH PARTS AROUND.' I REQUEST A REVIEW OF ALL THE ACTIONS TAKEN BY ALL PARTIES TO THIS INCIDENT. YOU ALSO SOLICIT MY OPINION AS TO CAUSE AND POSSIBLE PREVENTION, AND ASK FOR MY JUDGEMENT OF THE HUMAN FACTORS. I BELIEVE THE CAUSE WAS FOREIGN PARTICLES INDUCED INTO THE FUEL TANKS WHICH PREVENTED ADEQUATE FLOW OF FUEL TO PERMIT THE ENG OT PRODUCE ENOUGH PWR TO SUSTAIN FLT. AS TO SOURCE OF CONTAMINANTS, I WOULD FIRST LOOK AT THE DISCHARGE PUMP OF THE FUEL TRUCK. HOWEVER, AT THIS LATE DATE, THAT WOULD BE FUTILE. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: A PERSON ENTRUSTED WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY TO INVESTIGATE CAUSE OF INCIDENT SHOULD BE DILIGENT TO THAT END AND NOT ANTAGONIZE THE OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES WITH A CONFRONTATIONAL ATTITUDE AND BE PROFESSIONAL ENOUGH TO ANALYZE DATA RATHER THAN LOOKING ONLY FOR VIOLATIONS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.