Recovery photos

Tailboom with evidence of blade strike of metal flange in blade at driveshaft joint.

Engine and transmission have both come foward crushing the flight compartment.

TR driveshaft is twisted

Throttle (on rear of collective) is seen in the idle position and is not moveable as crushed by other components at impact.

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Blades have been sheared off the aircraft consistant to tree strike/ pulling the blades off at the roots

T/R shows damage to the front of the blade and impact damage concurrent to descending in the trees and hitting trees with the T/R

Pic of aircraft from the rear.

The remains of the flight deck.

Remains of the helicopter on the trailer

My Synopsis

1. Aircraft attemped a downwind departure in a Very tight Landing Zone with high obstacles surrounding LZ.

2. Two people and gas (owner had aux tank installed at purchase)or thereabouts were too much for the rotor system.

3. Pilot used rotor energy to gain altitude and slowed rotor RPM below 310.

4. 210 hp franklin had insufficent power to spin up rotor system with rotor below 310... my guess is they were at 280 or below.(With the tail wind the aircraft never transitioned into ETL)

5. Witness said helicopter wobbled. And that is consistant with low rotor RPM.

6. Once the PIC determined that they could not regain rotor speed, the PIC selected an area in the woods to try and descend.

7. Rotor RPM continued to decay and PIC initiated Auto-Rotation of aircraft into woods

8. PIC closed throttle as noted by a picture of throttle linkage crushed.

9. TR decends into trees and makes contact and impacts leading edge of TR blades

10. Driveshaft is shown twisted, indicating that possibly tr hit trees first.

11. Aircraft descends through trees vertically and points nose down as soon as blades leave the aircraft. Metal strip on blade... without rest of blade flails through the air and contacts tailboom at rear U-joint for TR driveshaft.

12. Impact at 30-40 feet below initial impact zone. Helicopter lands nose-first and slightly to the right side. The Transmission and rotor system continue to travel downwards and crush the flight deck.

13. Passenger is Killed on impact

14 PIC passes away shortly there after at Grady Memorial Hospital.

15. Aircraft wreckage is removed following NTSB/FAA investigation.