What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(Tty) 1967 Hughes TH-55 helicopter was involved in student pilot training when its engine failed on take-off, and the acft settled to the ground. (.4) the flight instructor reported that the student pilot was flying the helicopter for the dark night takeoff. According to the flight instructor, shortly after climbing through 100 feet, the engine lost power. The flight instructor initiated an autorotation. During the touchdown phase of the autorotation, the helicopter collided with the ground. During the subsequent landing gyrations, the flight instructor stated that, a main rotor blade severed the tail boom, and the helicopter also rolled over. No mechanical problems with the helicopter were discovered during the subsequent post-impact examination. The engine assembly was removed from the airframe and installed in an engine test cell. During the functional test run the engine operated smoothly through all power ranges. (-23) N271JB, Hughes 269A was departing the helipad in the vicinity of george c. wallace community college from a hover at approximately 20:10 hours local time. While executing a full performance climb, the engine lost RPM. W hen attempting to land and miss a ditch, N271JB executed a flare causing the tail rotor blade to strike the ground, and tail boom skid to strike a barb wire fence. N271JB made hard contact with the ground in a nose up attitude impacting the engine to the ground, and splaying the landing skids. On impact, the rotor blades flexed downward striking the tail rotordrive. The front section of the tail rotor drive, tailboom and tail rotor separated from the aircraft. N271JB came to final rest on the right side and approximately 270 degrees from direction of flight.
As the FAA filed it
(TTY) 1967 HUGHES TH-55 HELICOPTER WAS INVOLVED IN STUDENT PILOT TRAINING WHEN ITS ENGINE FAILED ON TAKE-OFF, AND THE ACFT SETTLED TO THE GROUND. (.4) THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THAT THE STUDENT PILOT WAS FLYING THE HELICOPTER FOR THE DARK NIGHT TAKEOFF. ACCORDING TO THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, SHORTLY AFTER CLIMBING THROUGH 100 FEET, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR INITIATED AN AUTOROTATION. DURING THE TOUCHDOWN PHASE OF THE AUTOROTATION, THE HELICOPTER COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND. DURING THE SUBSEQUENT LANDING GYRATIONS, THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT, A MAIN ROTOR BLADE SEVERED THE TAIL BOOM, AND THE HELICOPTER ALSO ROLLED OVER. NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE HELICOPTER WERE DISCOVERED DURING THE SUBSEQUENT POST-IMPACT EXAMINATION. THE ENGINE ASSEMBLY WAS REMOVED FROM THE AIRFRAME AND INSTALLED IN AN ENGINE TEST CELL. DURING THE FUNCTIONAL TEST RUN THE ENGINE OPERATED SMOOTHLY THROUGH ALL POWER RANGES. (-23) N271JB, HUGHES 269A WAS DEPARTING THE HELIPAD IN THE VICINITY OF GEORGE C. WALLACE COMMUNITY COLLEGE FROM A HOVER AT APPROXIMATELY 20:10 HOURS LOCAL TIME. WHILE EXECUTING A FULL PERFORMANCE CLIMB, THE ENGINE LOST RPM. W HEN ATTEMPTING TO LAND AND MISS A DITCH, N271JB EXECUTED A FLARE CAUSING THE TAIL ROTOR BLADE TO STRIKE THE GROUND, AND TAIL BOOM SKID TO STRIKE A BARB WIRE FENCE. N271JB MADE HARD CONTACT WITH THE GROUND IN A NOSE UP ATTITUDE IMPACTING THE ENGINE TO THE GROUND, AND SPLAYING THE LANDING SKIDS. ON IMPACT, THE ROTOR BLADES FLEXED DOWNWARD STRIKING THE TAIL ROTORDRIVE. THE FRONT SECTION OF THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE, TAILBOOM AND TAIL ROTOR SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. N271JB CAME TO FINAL REST ON THE RIGHT SIDE AND APPROXIMATELY 270 DEGREES FROM DIRECTION OF FLIGHT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.