20010318003939A

(.19) On March 18, 2001, at 1345 PST, an Enstrom F-28C, N637H, experienced a tail rotor strike, and rolled over, starting a fire in Hollister, California. The helicopter was destroyed; however, the certificated private pilot and passenger received only minor injuries. The pilot-owner, under the provisions of CFR 14 part 91, was operating as a personal flight when the accident occurred. The local flight was originating from Hollister when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan had been filed. The pilot told a FAA inspector that he had been taking off from the backyard of his home when he lost all cyclic and collective control. The helicopter spun to the left and rolled onto its left side. The tail boom was found separated from the helicopter and both tail rotor blades showed leading edge contact. There were ground scars found that dimensionally corresponded to the tail rotor blades. A few minutes after the pilot and his passenger exited the helicopter it caught fire and burned. The separated portion of the tail boom was not involved in the fire. (-23)pilot lost control of helicopter after a normal take off and hover. The pilot reported that at about 50 feet the helicopter went into a violent oscillation, rotated left about 90 degrees, and started to spin to the right 180 degrees. The pilot stated that there was no normal response to the flight control of the helicopter at this point. At this time the pilot stated that he cut power to the helicopter and lowered the collective. The helicopter hit the ground tail first, spun around left coming to a stop on its left side. The pilot and passenger then departed the helicopter through the left side door which had been bent open. Shortly after departing the helicopter, fuel from the main tank was ignited by the hot engine and the helicopter was destroyed in the ensuing fire. This investigation has been referred to out sjc flight operations unit for further evaluation at this time.