What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23)While hovering N2061D in preparation for flight, pilot claims that a gust of wind caused the aircraft to weathercock into the wind. According to him, the gust was so severe that the nearby trees were "lying" over and he could not maintain directional control even with full opposite control inputs. The tail boom struck a light pole and one tail rotor separated from the helicoper. The results was a loss of lateral control and the aircraft spun uncontrollably approximately four to five revolutions at a constant altitude. Pilot managed to crash-land the aircraft on the ramp in a tail low attitude. The aircraft sustained heavy damage to the tail section. One rotor blade was detached, and the other severly mangled. Both the horizontal stabilizer and the vertical stabilizer received substantial damage. The skin of the fuselage was bent aft of the rear skid attachments points and the under belly cross beam broken. The main rotor blade did not contact the ground at any time.
As the FAA filed it
(-23)WHILE HOVERING N2061D IN PREPARATION FOR FLIGHT, PILOT CLAIMS THAT A GUST OF WIND CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO WEATHERCOCK INTO THE WIND. ACCORDING TO HIM, THE GUST WAS SO SEVERE THAT THE NEARBY TREES WERE "LYING" OVER AND HE COULD NOT MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL EVEN WITH FULL OPPOSITE CONTROL INPUTS. THE TAIL BOOM STRUCK A LIGHT POLE AND ONE TAIL ROTOR SEPARATED FROM THE HELICOPER. THE RESULTS WAS A LOSS OF LATERAL CONTROL AND THE AIRCRAFT SPUN UNCONTROLLABLY APPROXIMATELY FOUR TO FIVE REVOLUTIONS AT A CONSTANT ALTITUDE. PILOT MANAGED TO CRASH-LAND THE AIRCRAFT ON THE RAMP IN A TAIL LOW ATTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED HEAVY DAMAGE TO THE TAIL SECTION. ONE ROTOR BLADE WAS DETACHED, AND THE OTHER SEVERLY MANGLED. BOTH THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND THE VERTICAL STABILIZER RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE SKIN OF THE FUSELAGE WAS BENT AFT OF THE REAR SKID ATTACHMENTS POINTS AND THE UNDER BELLY CROSS BEAM BROKEN. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE DID NOT CONTACT THE GROUND AT ANY TIME.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.