What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot, daniel arthur lester reported that he approached the landing site from the south, amde a 360 degree reconnaissance and approached to land into the wind (southeast), over a telegraph pole. He came to a 6 to 8 foot hover, with trees and two postbox's to the right and a large ditch to the left. He slid sideways to the left away from the trees and started a left pedal turn, to face the EMS units behide him. He had turned approximately 120 degrees to the left, when he moved backwards and struck the trees with the tail rotor (t/r) blades. He immediately stopped any turning and moved foward, and he still felt like he had some t/r cotnrol. He stated that the cockpit was over the ditch when the aircraft started to spin after complete t/r failure, he got the aircraft back over the road, lowered the collective and landed hard, then he shut the aircraft down.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT, DANIEL ARTHUR LESTER REPORTED THAT HE APPROACHED THE LANDING SITE FROM THE SOUTH, AMDE A 360 DEGREE RECONNAISSANCE AND APPROACHED TO LAND INTO THE WIND (SOUTHEAST), OVER A TELEGRAPH POLE. HE CAME TO A 6 TO 8 FOOT HOVER, WITH TREES AND TWO POSTBOX'S TO THE RIGHT AND A LARGE DITCH TO THE LEFT. HE SLID SIDEWAYS TO THE LEFT AWAY FROM THE TREES AND STARTED A LEFT PEDAL TURN, TO FACE THE EMS UNITS BEHIDE HIM. HE HAD TURNED APPROXIMATELY 120 DEGREES TO THE LEFT, WHEN HE MOVED BACKWARDS AND STRUCK THE TREES WITH THE TAIL ROTOR (T/R) BLADES. HE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED ANY TURNING AND MOVED FOWARD, AND HE STILL FELT LIKE HE HAD SOME T/R COTNROL. HE STATED THAT THE COCKPIT WAS OVER THE DITCH WHEN THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO SPIN AFTER COMPLETE T/R FAILURE, HE GOT THE AIRCRAFT BACK OVER THE ROAD, LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND LANDED HARD, THEN HE SHUT THE AIRCRAFT DOWN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.