Narrative:

Departed jackson airport with 2 observers. Mission was to search for missing airplane. Flight was requested by local sheriff's department. WX and flight information were furnished by civil air patrol. Our search area was approximately 25 mi north and east of jackson airport. Some of our search area was located at a higher elevation, these areas were avoided due to snow falling and visibility made searching in these areas useless. The search continued at lower elevations where low clouds and snow were not a factor. A landing was made for personal reasons at approximately 1 1/2 hours into the search. At this time I looked at air inlets and helicopter surfaces for ice or snow buildup -- none were seen. Flight continued on for the missing aircraft for another hour +/-. While returning to search base at jackson, approximately 13 mi out in cruise attitude, the engine had a flameout. We entered automatic rotation, about half way through the landing or sooner, I tried for an engine relight. Time was running out on the restart, left the throttle at flat idle, continued on with the landing straight ahead clear of trees into sage brush. The helicopter came to a stop with the engine running at flat idle. The helicopter turned some to the left, probably due to sage brush catching on left skid. Myself, the pilot, and 2 observers were not injured. I left the helicopter running, walked around the helicopter 2 times. Looked for snow or ice buildup at the intake -- none seen. The left front main cabin window had stress cracks, tapes these cracks, right rear skid, behind rear cross tube had crack, probably occurring from sage brush or rock. Talked with flight following (civil air patrol) told them I would be hovering over by near by road 300 ft to our right. Helicopter hovered smooth. Felt and responded to control inputs. Climbed to approximately 300 ft AGL. Stayed over asphalt road. Flew to shop without incident. Another helicopter also on the search flew behind us on the flight back to base. Ice or buildup of snow may have been the reason for flameout, however, none were visibly seen. Reverse air baffles were not installed. Automatic relight would have prevented the incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELI HAS FLAMEOUT AND IS DAMAGED DURING SUBSEQUENT AUTO ROTATION LNDG.

Narrative: DEPARTED JACKSON ARPT WITH 2 OBSERVERS. MISSION WAS TO SEARCH FOR MISSING AIRPLANE. FLT WAS REQUESTED BY LCL SHERIFF'S DEPT. WX AND FLT INFO WERE FURNISHED BY CIVIL AIR PATROL. OUR SEARCH AREA WAS APPROX 25 MI N AND E OF JACKSON ARPT. SOME OF OUR SEARCH AREA WAS LOCATED AT A HIGHER ELEVATION, THESE AREAS WERE AVOIDED DUE TO SNOW FALLING AND VISIBILITY MADE SEARCHING IN THESE AREAS USELESS. THE SEARCH CONTINUED AT LOWER ELEVATIONS WHERE LOW CLOUDS AND SNOW WERE NOT A FACTOR. A LNDG WAS MADE FOR PERSONAL REASONS AT APPROX 1 1/2 HRS INTO THE SEARCH. AT THIS TIME I LOOKED AT AIR INLETS AND HELI SURFACES FOR ICE OR SNOW BUILDUP -- NONE WERE SEEN. FLT CONTINUED ON FOR THE MISSING ACFT FOR ANOTHER HR +/-. WHILE RETURNING TO SEARCH BASE AT JACKSON, APPROX 13 MI OUT IN CRUISE ATTITUDE, THE ENG HAD A FLAMEOUT. WE ENTERED AUTO ROTATION, ABOUT HALF WAY THROUGH THE LNDG OR SOONER, I TRIED FOR AN ENG RELIGHT. TIME WAS RUNNING OUT ON THE RESTART, LEFT THE THROTTLE AT FLAT IDLE, CONTINUED ON WITH THE LNDG STRAIGHT AHEAD CLR OF TREES INTO SAGE BRUSH. THE HELI CAME TO A STOP WITH THE ENG RUNNING AT FLAT IDLE. THE HELI TURNED SOME TO THE L, PROBABLY DUE TO SAGE BRUSH CATCHING ON L SKID. MYSELF, THE PLT, AND 2 OBSERVERS WERE NOT INJURED. I LEFT THE HELI RUNNING, WALKED AROUND THE HELI 2 TIMES. LOOKED FOR SNOW OR ICE BUILDUP AT THE INTAKE -- NONE SEEN. THE L FRONT MAIN CABIN WINDOW HAD STRESS CRACKS, TAPES THESE CRACKS, R REAR SKID, BEHIND REAR CROSS TUBE HAD CRACK, PROBABLY OCCURRING FROM SAGE BRUSH OR ROCK. TALKED WITH FLT FOLLOWING (CIVIL AIR PATROL) TOLD THEM I WOULD BE HOVERING OVER BY NEAR BY ROAD 300 FT TO OUR R. HELI HOVERED SMOOTH. FELT AND RESPONDED TO CTL INPUTS. CLBED TO APPROX 300 FT AGL. STAYED OVER ASPHALT ROAD. FLEW TO SHOP WITHOUT INCIDENT. ANOTHER HELI ALSO ON THE SEARCH FLEW BEHIND US ON THE FLT BACK TO BASE. ICE OR BUILDUP OF SNOW MAY HAVE BEEN THE REASON FOR FLAMEOUT, HOWEVER, NONE WERE VISIBLY SEEN. REVERSE AIR BAFFLES WERE NOT INSTALLED. AUTO RELIGHT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.