What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Heli was in the pattern for rwy 6/24, on take off the acft climbed to apprx 50FT when the tail rotor shaft failed. (-23) on March 12, 1998, at 1625 EST, an Enstrom F-28A helicopter, registered to new horizons helicopters, made a hard landing at Blue ash airport, Ohio (isz), due to a mechanical failure, while on a local training flight. VFR conditions prevailed, no VFR flight plan was filed. The helicopter as substantially damaged. The student pilot was not injured. The flight originated at Blue ash, Ohio on March 12, 1998 at 1624 EST. (.4)the helicopter was under the control of a student pilot. Departing from a hover, and while climbing through an altitude of 50 to 60 feet above the ground, the pilot heard a loud bang and a high pitched whine. The pilot performed an autorotation. He reported that he touched down hard and started sliding on the grass. The nose pitched down, and the main rotor blades contacted the tail boom. Examination of the helicopter revealed a blade had separated from the engine-cooling fan and penetrated the shroud. The fan blades were held to the fan disk by 1 bolt and 2 rivets. Evidence of corrosion was found on the fan disk and the failed rivets.
As the FAA filed it
HELI WAS IN THE PATTERN FOR RWY 6/24, ON TAKE OFF THE ACFT CLIMBED TO APPRX 50FT WHEN THE TAIL ROTOR SHAFT FAILED. (-23) ON MARCH 12, 1998, AT 1625 EST, AN ENSTROM F-28A HELICOPTER, REGISTERED TO NEW HORIZONS HELICOPTERS, MADE A HARD LANDING AT BLUE ASH AIRPORT, OHIO (ISZ), DUE TO A MECHANICAL FAILURE, WHILE ON A LOCAL TRAINING FLIGHT. VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED, NO VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE HELICOPTER AS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT BLUE ASH, OHIO ON MARCH 12, 1998 AT 1624 EST. (.4)THE HELICOPTER WAS UNDER THE CONTROL OF A STUDENT PILOT. DEPARTING FROM A HOVER, AND WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH AN ALTITUDE OF 50 TO 60 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD BANG AND A HIGH PITCHED WHINE. THE PILOT PERFORMED AN AUTOROTATION. HE REPORTED THAT HE TOUCHED DOWN HARD AND STARTED SLIDING ON THE GRASS. THE NOSE PITCHED DOWN, AND THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED THE TAIL BOOM. EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER REVEALED A BLADE HAD SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE-COOLING FAN AND PENETRATED THE SHROUD. THE FAN BLADES WERE HELD TO THE FAN DISK BY 1 BOLT AND 2 RIVETS. EVIDENCE OF CORROSION WAS FOUND ON THE FAN DISK AND THE FAILED RIVETS.
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 N4884 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.