What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Practice autorotation. Pulled collective too soon. Hard landing. Main rotors chopped tailboom. (.4) two commercial pilots were practicing touchdown autorotation landings at a private snow covered Airstrip. The purpose of the flight was for both pilots to maintain their proficiency. The first pilot had performed several straight-in touchdown autorotations. During the last autorotation, the first pilot entered the autorotation at 800 feet above the ground and about 80 knots. During the descent, the pilot maintained a 65 knot airspeed, and began a deceleration flare about 50 to 60 feet above the ground. As the ground speed dissipated, the pilot leveled the helicopter, applied main rotor collective pitch, and touched down with about a 30 foot ground run. As the helicopter slowed to a stop, the pilot indicated the helicopter shuddered several times. The main rotor blades struck the tail boom, severing the horizontal and vertical stabilizer, and the tail rotor assembly, from the tail boom.
As the FAA filed it
PRACTICE AUTOROTATION. PULLED COLLECTIVE TOO SOON. HARD LANDING. MAIN ROTORS CHOPPED TAILBOOM. (.4) TWO COMMERCIAL PILOTS WERE PRACTICING TOUCHDOWN AUTOROTATION LANDINGS AT A PRIVATE SNOW COVERED AIRSTRIP. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS FOR BOTH PILOTS TO MAINTAIN THEIR PROFICIENCY. THE FIRST PILOT HAD PERFORMED SEVERAL STRAIGHT-IN TOUCHDOWN AUTOROTATIONS. DURING THE LAST AUTOROTATION, THE FIRST PILOT ENTERED THE AUTOROTATION AT 800 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AND ABOUT 80 KNOTS. DURING THE DESCENT, THE PILOT MAINTAINED A 65 KNOT AIRSPEED, AND BEGAN A DECELERATION FLARE ABOUT 50 TO 60 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. AS THE GROUND SPEED DISSIPATED, THE PILOT LEVELED THE HELICOPTER, APPLIED MAIN ROTOR COLLECTIVE PITCH, AND TOUCHED DOWN WITH ABOUT A 30 FOOT GROUND RUN. AS THE HELICOPTER SLOWED TO A STOP, THE PILOT INDICATED THE HELICOPTER SHUDDERED SEVERAL TIMES. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE TAIL BOOM, SEVERING THE HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL STABILIZER, AND THE TAIL ROTOR ASSEMBLY, FROM THE TAIL BOOM.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.