What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) While flying at approx. 2500/2600 ft (AGL) in the Cave Creek, AZ area the pilot made a normal approach to a rural opening in the desert near spurcrossing and yucca roads. He came to a hover approx. ten(10) ft. (AGL). The rotor RPM suddenly decayed. The pilot lowered the collective and opened the throttle fully but the rotor did not respond accordingly in resepect to the very low altitude. As the helicopter approached ground contact the pilot applied full collective pitch. The landing, was quite hard and resulted in substantial damage transmitted to many primary structual parts of the vehicle. However, the helicopter did not rollover and there were no injuries or post-crash fire.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) WHILE FLYING AT APPROX. 2500/2600 FT (AGL) IN THE CAVE CREEK, AZ AREA THE PILOT MADE A NORMAL APPROACH TO A RURAL OPENING IN THE DESERT NEAR SPURCROSSING AND YUCCA ROADS. HE CAME TO A HOVER APPROX. TEN(10) FT. (AGL). THE ROTOR RPM SUDDENLY DECAYED. THE PILOT LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND OPENED THE THROTTLE FULLY BUT THE ROTOR DID NOT RESPOND ACCORDINGLY IN RESEPECT TO THE VERY LOW ALTITUDE. AS THE HELICOPTER APPROACHED GROUND CONTACT THE PILOT APPLIED FULL COLLECTIVE PITCH. THE LANDING, WAS QUITE HARD AND RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TRANSMITTED TO MANY PRIMARY STRUCTUAL PARTS OF THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER, THE HELICOPTER DID NOT ROLLOVER AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR POST-CRASH FIRE.
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 N577TA · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.