What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On October 19, 1999, about 1708 eastern daylight time, a Robinson R-44, N8364Z, registered to heliflight leasing, inc., operating as a title 14 CFR part 91 sales demonstration flight, sustained a main rotor strike and separation of the tail boom upon landing at fort Lauderdale executive airport, fort Lauderdale, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed the same airport about 1 hour before the accident. According to the chief pilot of heliflight leasing, the pilot told him that he was in hovering flight prior to touchdown, and as he began settling for touchdown, the helicopter went into a right bank and made first ground contact with the forward end of the right landing skid, followed by a main rotor strike of the ground and tail boom. The tail boom was severed. The pilot further stated that he thought there were no external factors involved such as wind, other aircraft propeller or rotor wash, or mechanical problems, and that it was probably a question of bad technique. (.4)the pilot stated that as he transitioned from hover to land ing during the sales demonstration flight, the helicopter bounced 1 to 2 inches after touchdown, and he mistakenly applied right cyclic. The main rotor struck the ground and severed the tail boom, yawing the rotorcraft 180 degrees and damaging the landing skids. (-23)the flight was a sales demonstration flight. The helicopter is owned by heliflight leasing, inc. the pilot stated that he was hovering for a landing-the skid touched the ground and the next thing he knew the main rotor hit the ground and broke. The tail boom was separated from the a/c. he said that there were no external factors involved, I.e., wind, other a/c, etc. There were no mechanical problems evident. He stated that he guessed it was just bad technique.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON OCTOBER 19, 1999, ABOUT 1708 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A ROBINSON R-44, N8364Z, REGISTERED TO HELIFLIGHT LEASING, INC., OPERATING AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 SALES DEMONSTRATION FLIGHT, SUSTAINED A MAIN ROTOR STRIKE AND SEPARATION OF THE TAIL BOOM UPON LANDING AT FORT LAUDERDALE EXECUTIVE AIRPORT, FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED THE SAME AIRPORT ABOUT 1 HOUR BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE CHIEF PILOT OF HELIFLIGHT LEASING, THE PILOT TOLD HIM THAT HE WAS IN HOVERING FLIGHT PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN, AND AS HE BEGAN SETTLING FOR TOUCHDOWN, THE HELICOPTER WENT INTO A RIGHT BANK AND MADE FIRST GROUND CONTACT WITH THE FORWARD END OF THE RIGHT LANDING SKID, FOLLOWED BY A MAIN ROTOR STRIKE OF THE GROUND AND TAIL BOOM. THE TAIL BOOM WAS SEVERED. THE PILOT FURTHER STATED THAT HE THOUGHT THERE WERE NO EXTERNAL FACTORS INVOLVED SUCH AS WIND, OTHER AIRCRAFT PROPELLER OR ROTOR WASH, OR MECHANICAL PROBLEMS, AND THAT IT WAS PROBABLY A QUESTION OF BAD TECHNIQUE. (.4)THE PILOT STATED THAT AS HE TRANSITIONED FROM HOVER TO LAND ING DURING THE SALES DEMONSTRATION FLIGHT, THE HELICOPTER BOUNCED 1 TO 2 INCHES AFTER TOUCHDOWN, AND HE MISTAKENLY APPLIED RIGHT CYCLIC. THE MAIN ROTOR STRUCK THE GROUND AND SEVERED THE TAIL BOOM, YAWING THE ROTORCRAFT 180 DEGREES AND DAMAGING THE LANDING SKIDS. (-23)THE FLIGHT WAS A SALES DEMONSTRATION FLIGHT. THE HELICOPTER IS OWNED BY HELIFLIGHT LEASING, INC. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS HOVERING FOR A LANDING-THE SKID TOUCHED THE GROUND AND THE NEXT THING HE KNEW THE MAIN ROTOR HIT THE GROUND AND BROKE. THE TAIL BOOM WAS SEPARATED FROM THE A/C. HE SAID THAT THERE WERE NO EXTERNAL FACTORS INVOLVED, I.E., WIND, OTHER A/C, ETC. THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS EVIDENT. HE STATED THAT HE GUESSED IT WAS JUST BAD TECHNIQUE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.