N8476E
BELL 47J2
WITNESSES OBSERVED THE HELICOPTER, AND THEN A LOUD BANG WAS HEARD & THE ENGINE WAS NO LONGER AUDIBLE. THE HELICOPTER IMMEDIATELY MADE A TURN TO THE LEFT & DESCENDED. AS IT APPROACHED THE GROUND, THE ENGINE NOISE INCREASED. THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED HARD ON TOP OF A HILL. POST-CRASH EXAMINATION INDICATED THAT THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION OIL TANK AND ENGINE OIL SYSTEM CONTAINED 2 QTS OF OIL. THE TURN-TO-LOCK TYPE OIL STICK WAS NOT LOCKED, AND OIL RESIDUE WAS VISIBLE EXITING THE FILLER NECK AND FLOWING OUT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND DOWN THE TAIL BOOM. NO OIL LEAKAGE WAS FOUND ON THE GROUND AT THE CRASH SITE. THE DAY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, AN FAA INSPECTOR HAD NOTED OIL LEAKAGE IN AND AROUND THE HELICOPTER'S ENGINE COMPARTMENT. TOXICOLOGY TESTS RESULTS ON THE PILOT WAS POSITIVE FOR FOR 0.010 UG/ML (BLOOD-TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL CARBOXYLIC ACID) MARIJUANA, ONE PASSENGER WAS POSITIVE FOR 0.038 UG/ML (BLOOD) MARIJUANA, AND ANOTHER PASSENGER WAS POSITIVE FOR 2.4 MCG/ML (URINE) DIPHENHYDRAMINE OR BENADRYL.
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE ROTOR RPM DURING A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING FOLLOWING THE LOSS OF ENGINE OIL. IN ADDITION, THE PILOT FAILED TO INSURE THAT THE ENGINE CONTAINED ADEQUATE OIL, AND THAT THE OIL DIP STICK WAS SECURE PRIOR TO TAKEOFF. A FACTOR WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S IMPAIRMENT DUE TO MARIJUANA.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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