Narrative:

I landed on the beach in a unimproved landing area. While taking off, I ingested marsh grass into both engines. The marsh grass and debris was being blown up by the rotor wash. I leveled off at 300 ft and went into a cruise confign. I heard a loud bang and #2 tot went up to 950 degrees C. I thought I had a high side failure so I retarded #2 throttle until tot was back in normal limits, then #1 made a loud bang and the tot went up to 850 degrees C, N2 and nr started to drop so I reduced the torque and advanced #2 throttle back to full power. With the torque reduced to 42 percent, I was able to maintain level flight and keep both engines running within normal limitations. I continued to fly under a partial power condition to acadiana regional airport where a run on landing could be made. My judgement to continue was due to the fact that I was flying over a remote part of the marsh without radio contact with my company's flight following facility because their radios were down due to WX. When the WX is bad, they don't seem to work properly. The other consideration was a cold front was bearing down on us and my passenger and I were not properly clothed to remain in those elements for any period of time. Darkness was rapidly approaching and visibility for another approach into the march was questionable. I feel manufacturer should come up with a better particle separation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ATX HELI PLT INGESTED GRASS ON TKOF CAUSING A SEVERE LOSS OF PWR.

Narrative: I LANDED ON THE BEACH IN A UNIMPROVED LNDG AREA. WHILE TAKING OFF, I INGESTED MARSH GRASS INTO BOTH ENGS. THE MARSH GRASS AND DEBRIS WAS BEING BLOWN UP BY THE ROTOR WASH. I LEVELED OFF AT 300 FT AND WENT INTO A CRUISE CONFIGN. I HEARD A LOUD BANG AND #2 TOT WENT UP TO 950 DEGS C. I THOUGHT I HAD A HIGH SIDE FAILURE SO I RETARDED #2 THROTTLE UNTIL TOT WAS BACK IN NORMAL LIMITS, THEN #1 MADE A LOUD BANG AND THE TOT WENT UP TO 850 DEGS C, N2 AND NR STARTED TO DROP SO I REDUCED THE TORQUE AND ADVANCED #2 THROTTLE BACK TO FULL PWR. WITH THE TORQUE REDUCED TO 42 PERCENT, I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN LEVEL FLT AND KEEP BOTH ENGS RUNNING WITHIN NORMAL LIMITATIONS. I CONTINUED TO FLY UNDER A PARTIAL PWR CONDITION TO ACADIANA REGIONAL ARPT WHERE A RUN ON LNDG COULD BE MADE. MY JUDGEMENT TO CONTINUE WAS DUE TO THE FACT THAT I WAS FLYING OVER A REMOTE PART OF THE MARSH WITHOUT RADIO CONTACT WITH MY COMPANY'S FLT FOLLOWING FACILITY BECAUSE THEIR RADIOS WERE DOWN DUE TO WX. WHEN THE WX IS BAD, THEY DON'T SEEM TO WORK PROPERLY. THE OTHER CONSIDERATION WAS A COLD FRONT WAS BEARING DOWN ON US AND MY PAX AND I WERE NOT PROPERLY CLOTHED TO REMAIN IN THOSE ELEMENTS FOR ANY PERIOD OF TIME. DARKNESS WAS RAPIDLY APCHING AND VISIBILITY FOR ANOTHER APCH INTO THE MARCH WAS QUESTIONABLE. I FEEL MANUFACTURER SHOULD COME UP WITH A BETTER PARTICLE SEPARATION.

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.