Dumb pilot answer to the reasonable question:
I just have to wonder what made them think they could get back to land with probably the most serious problem they could face, a failed MGB and the resulting deterioration of rotor rpm.
Perhaps they thought that they had that magical 30 run dry time. I have, on a few occasions, finding myself on the edge of the "approved" limit, counting on the actual certification requirement as my margin of safety. Perhaps these two unfortunate pilots also did!
I agree with Svenestron:
But I believe what is really misleading is the information out of SAC about the 30 min run dry compliance. Judging from the posts on here, most pilots seem to have understood there was a run dry capability when there was virtually none.
You can always argue it is there in black and white. But if a majority of pilots think differently, you have failed somewhere in communication.
I suspect that these pilots and passengers were cheated out of a margin of safety which they reasonably thought they had, which was not actually available to them. That's not right. Either the aircraft meets the design requirements, or it does not. If it does not, it flies with a limitation, and the pilots are boldly warned of the certification shortcoming.
Pilot DAR