What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Helicopter experienced suspected tail rotor failure. (.4)the pilot was transporting a television crew to several high school football games. He had removed the left rear door of the aircraft to facilitate aerial photography of the games. The helicopter was in cruise flight at approximately 500 feet AGL when the pilot heard a loud bang and the aircraft made a right yaw. The pilot said that movement of the directional control pedals was ineffective. He made a run-on landing, but the helicopter impacted two levees separating the right skid from the aircraft. The aircraft rotated to the right and came to a stop upright. Postcrash examination revealed that the tail rotor drive shaft had separated near its mid point. One of the tail rotor blades had seven small indentations (similar to a zipper) on one eighth inch centers near the tip of the blade. He reported that the 'three outboard marks on the top of the blade also exhibited span-wise streaks with a brass like appearance, which may be transferred metal.' Tests by the aircraft's manufacturer revealed the material transferred to the tail rotor blade leading edge was brass. None of the passengers remember losing any personal items during the flight. (-23) enroute from Brinkley, AR to marianna, AR, while cruising at 500 ft AGL/100KTS, an audible "pop" occurred, followed by loss of anti-torque system response. The pilot elected to execute an emergency landing in a rice field several miles southeast of Brinkley. A run-on landing was accomplished in the rice field, resulting in substantial airframe damage due to the collision of the right hand skid with a levy. The helicopter settled on the ground on it's right hand side, failing the tail boom and causing a main rotor ground strike. The tail rotor drive shaft was observed to be failed.
As the FAA filed it
HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED SUSPECTED TAIL ROTOR FAILURE. (.4)THE PILOT WAS TRANSPORTING A TELEVISION CREW TO SEVERAL HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAMES. HE HAD REMOVED THE LEFT REAR DOOR OF THE AIRCRAFT TO FACILITATE AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY OF THE GAMES. THE HELICOPTER WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET AGL WHEN THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD BANG AND THE AIRCRAFT MADE A RIGHT YAW. THE PILOT SAID THAT MOVEMENT OF THE DIRECTIONAL CONTROL PEDALS WAS INEFFECTIVE. HE MADE A RUN-ON LANDING, BUT THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED TWO LEVEES SEPARATING THE RIGHT SKID FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT ROTATED TO THE RIGHT AND CAME TO A STOP UPRIGHT. POSTCRASH EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT HAD SEPARATED NEAR ITS MID POINT. ONE OF THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES HAD SEVEN SMALL INDENTATIONS (SIMILAR TO A ZIPPER) ON ONE EIGHTH INCH CENTERS NEAR THE TIP OF THE BLADE. HE REPORTED THAT THE 'THREE OUTBOARD MARKS ON THE TOP OF THE BLADE ALSO EXHIBITED SPAN-WISE STREAKS WITH A BRASS LIKE APPEARANCE, WHICH MAY BE TRANSFERRED METAL.' TESTS BY THE AIRCRAFT'S MANUFACTURER REVEALED THE MATERIAL TRANSFERRED TO THE TAIL ROTOR BLADE LEADING EDGE WAS BRASS. NONE OF THE PASSENGERS REMEMBER LOSING ANY PERSONAL ITEMS DURING THE FLIGHT. (-23) ENROUTE FROM BRINKLEY, AR TO MARIANNA, AR, WHILE CRUISING AT 500 FT AGL/100KTS, AN AUDIBLE "POP" OCCURRED, FOLLOWED BY LOSS OF ANTI-TORQUE SYSTEM RESPONSE. THE PILOT ELECTED TO EXECUTE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A RICE FIELD SEVERAL MILES SOUTHEAST OF BRINKLEY. A RUN-ON LANDING WAS ACCOMPLISHED IN THE RICE FIELD, RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL AIRFRAME DAMAGE DUE TO THE COLLISION OF THE RIGHT HAND SKID WITH A LEVY. THE HELICOPTER SETTLED ON THE GROUND ON IT'S RIGHT HAND SIDE, FAILING THE TAIL BOOM AND CAUSING A MAIN ROTOR GROUND STRIKE. THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT WAS OBSERVED TO BE FAILED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.