What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-16) Instructor was demonstrating hovering to student near runway at the airport (5B5). Student pilot at the controls began drifting aircraft to the right. The instructor added left cyclic input to correct the right drift when top half of pilot's cyclic stick came apart in his hand. The instructor was sitting in the pilot's seat at the time. The aircraft immediately rolled onto it's right side causing substantial damage to the aircraft. The main rotor blades, tail rotor, tail rotor driveshaft and gear box separated. The pilot's cyclic stick was found to be highly modified with a military style cyclic grip and a makeshift joint in the middle which failed.
As the FAA filed it
(-16) INSTRUCTOR WAS DEMONSTRATING HOVERING TO STUDENT NEAR RUNWAY AT THE AIRPORT (5B5). STUDENT PILOT AT THE CONTROLS BEGAN DRIFTING AIRCRAFT TO THE RIGHT. THE INSTRUCTOR ADDED LEFT CYCLIC INPUT TO CORRECT THE RIGHT DRIFT WHEN TOP HALF OF PILOT'S CYCLIC STICK CAME APART IN HIS HAND. THE INSTRUCTOR WAS SITTING IN THE PILOT'S SEAT AT THE TIME. THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY ROLLED ONTO IT'S RIGHT SIDE CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES, TAIL ROTOR, TAIL ROTOR DRIVESHAFT AND GEAR BOX SEPARATED. THE PILOT'S CYCLIC STICK WAS FOUND TO BE HIGHLY MODIFIED WITH A MILITARY STYLE CYCLIC GRIP AND A MAKESHIFT JOINT IN THE MIDDLE WHICH 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.
Other reports on N49983 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.