Medford Airport: Medford, Oregon

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The pilot reported that shortly after take off, about 150 feet above ground level, the engine lost partial power. The airplane was unable to maintain altitude, and the pilot initiated an off airport emergency landing to an open field. During the landing roll, the nose gear collapsed when the pilot tried to maneuver away from obstructions. The pilot further reported that this was the first flight after the airplane had been setting for about three months with the fuel tanks only partially full. The pilot stated that he had accumulated about ten hours of flight time since he purchased this aircraft. During an inspection of the airframe and engine by a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector no evidence of a mechanical failure or malfunction was found. (Eagle Point)

The pilot said that he flew a high reconnaissance circle over his intended landing site. He observed ripples on a pond which led him to believe that the wind was from the south. During his landing approach, as he descended to 10 to 15 feet AGL, he pulled up on the collective to extend his glide. The pilot said the helicopter started to settle and became very unstable. He "recognized it as settling with power down wind." He leveled the skids and the helicopter hit the ground; he said that 1 or 2 seconds later the helicopter began to lift and turn to the right. He applied left pedal with no response; he then lowered the collective. Subsequently, the left skid tube caught the ground and collapsed, and the helicopter came to rest on its left side. The main rotor blades did not come in contact with the ground or any part of the helicopter, but the tail rotor blades were broken. Additionally the tail boom and tail rotor drive shaft were broken. The pilot said
that after he got out of the helicopter, he noticed that the wind was variable with light gusts. He said that the pond was being filled with water which gave him an incorrect interpretation of the wind conditions for landing.
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In a written statement dated September 27, the pilot reported that he elected to make a precautionary landing after seeing an unspecified "flicker on the dash warning lights." He stated that before arriving at the spot he intended to land "fog closed in and I become disoriented and missed the spot."
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The pilot, who was landing in a variable wind, made a touchdown and initial landing roll that were uneventful, but as the aircraft slowed, it encountered a crosswind that he was unable to adequately compensate for. Almost immediately after encountering the crosswind, the aircraft veered sharply toward the side of the runway, and one of the wings made contact with the ground. It was later determined that the wing structure had sustained substantial damage. According to the pilot, there was nothing wrong with the flight control or rudder system. In a post-accident interview with the Investigator-In-charge, the pilot stated that the aircraft just got away from him.

The airplane collided with terrain during a forced landing in an open field. The pilot visually confirmed both fuel tanks were full prior to takeoff by looking into the tank and observing fuel at the filler neck level. During cruise the pilot adjusted the fuel/air mixture using the exhaust gas temperature (EGT) gauge as a reference. Every 30 minutes during the flight, the pilot switched fuel tanks in order to attain an even fuel burn. About 3 hours 40 minutes into the flight the engine lost all power. The pilot switched fuel tanks, and the power was restored. Concerned that the other tank may also have been low on fuel, he elected to divert to an airport in the immediate vicinity. He flew an additional 10 minutes and the engine again lost all power. The pilot made an emergency landing in an open field and the airplane sustained substantial damage. A local law enforcement officer, who responded to the accident site, visually verified that there was no fuel in either fuel tank.