What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Helicopter tail rotor struck the ground during practice auot rotations. (-23) while practicing/demonstrating 180 degree t/d autorotations, cip flared high and "fell through" autorotation causing tail rotor to contact ground. Tail rotor blades and tail rotor drive shaft severely damaged, tail cone paint missing in spots-mid/top of tail cone-indicating tail cone flexed upon tail rotor blades contacting ground (sudden stopage of t/r drive syst.) Note: cip aten, accident 5-12-95 with Hughes model 269C, similiar to this accident while demo power-recovery auto rotations. (.19)on September 24, 1998, at 1540 hours mountain standard time, a Boeing 369E helicopter collided with the ground during a practice 180-degree autorotation at the Falcon Field Airport, Mesa, Arizona. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The instructor pilot and dual student were not injured. The local area instructional flight departed Falcon field for the sod training area at 1525. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. (.4) the instructor pilot and his student were practicing autorotations to a turf area, which was wet and soft. The instructor pilot demonstrated a 180-DE gree autorotation, which he said appeared to finish with a normal deceleration flare and touchdown. After touchdown the instructor pilot stated he heard a loud rattling sound coming from the tailboom. The aircraft was examined and found that during the autorotation, the tailrotor blades had hit the ground causing damage to the tail rotor blades and tailboom, and it had severed the tail rotor driveshaft. Ground witnesses said the helicopter hit the ground harder than normal.
As the FAA filed it
HELICOPTER TAIL ROTOR STRUCK THE GROUND DURING PRACTICE AUOT ROTATIONS. (-23) WHILE PRACTICING/DEMONSTRATING 180 DEGREE T/D AUTOROTATIONS, CIP FLARED HIGH AND "FELL THROUGH" AUTOROTATION CAUSING TAIL ROTOR TO CONTACT GROUND. TAIL ROTOR BLADES AND TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT SEVERELY DAMAGED, TAIL CONE PAINT MISSING IN SPOTS-MID/TOP OF TAIL CONE-INDICATING TAIL CONE FLEXED UPON TAIL ROTOR BLADES CONTACTING GROUND (SUDDEN STOPAGE OF T/R DRIVE SYST.) NOTE: CIP ATEN, ACCIDENT 5-12-95 WITH HUGHES MODEL 269C, SIMILIAR TO THIS ACCIDENT WHILE DEMO POWER-RECOVERY AUTO ROTATIONS. (.19)ON SEPTEMBER 24, 1998, AT 1540 HOURS MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A BOEING 369E HELICOPTER COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND DURING A PRACTICE 180-DEGREE AUTOROTATION AT THE FALCON FIELD AIRPORT, MESA, ARIZONA. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT AND DUAL STUDENT WERE NOT INJURED. THE LOCAL AREA INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT DEPARTED FALCON FIELD FOR THE SOD TRAINING AREA AT 1525. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. (.4) THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT AND HIS STUDENT WERE PRACTICING AUTOROTATIONS TO A TURF AREA, WHICH WAS WET AND SOFT. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT DEMONSTRATED A 180-DE GREE AUTOROTATION, WHICH HE SAID APPEARED TO FINISH WITH A NORMAL DECELERATION FLARE AND TOUCHDOWN. AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT STATED HE HEARD A LOUD RATTLING SOUND COMING FROM THE TAILBOOM. THE AIRCRAFT WAS EXAMINED AND FOUND THAT DURING THE AUTOROTATION, THE TAILROTOR BLADES HAD HIT THE GROUND CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES AND TAILBOOM, AND IT HAD SEVERED THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVESHAFT. GROUND WITNESSES SAID THE HELICOPTER HIT THE GROUND HARDER THAN NORMAL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.