What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On may 1, 2002, about 1430 eastern daylight time, a Bell 47J-2A helicopter, N37731, was substantially damaged while landing at the Blairstown Airport, Blairstown, new jersey. The certificated commercial pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the sightseeing flight conducted under 14 CFR part 91. According to the pilot, he had executed an approach to a helipad located in a grass area, just east of the runway. Four tires marked the helipad, one at each corner. As the helicopter neared the ground, the tail rotor blades struck one of the tires. The helicopter then began to rotate to the left and touched down hard on the helipad, coming to rest upright. Examination of the helicopter by a federal aviation administration inspector revealed that the gearbox had separated from the tail boom, and the main landing skids were collapsed around both sides of the fuselage. The recorded weather at a nearby airport, about the time of the accident, included winds from 290 degrees at 8 knots. (-23) the airman stated he approached Blairstown Airport (1N7) from the northwest and struck one of four tires used to mark the helicopter landing area with the tail rotor of the aircraft. The tail rotor gear box assembly snapped off causing the aircraft to rotate to the left in an uncontrolled manner. The aircraft struck the ground with the left skid first, hard enough to bend the cross tubes which flattened outward on both skids, and subsequently, allowed the aircraft's belly to make contact with the ground. There was no damage to the main rotor but there was wrinkling of the tail boom skin on the left side, aft of the engine compartment. Also, the tail rotor guard snapped off and punctured the left side of the tail boom. No injuries were reported.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON MAY 1, 2002, ABOUT 1430 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL 47J-2A HELICOPTER, N37731, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHILE LANDING AT THE BLAIRSTOWN AIRPORT, BLAIRSTOWN, NEW JERSEY. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE HAD EXECUTED AN APPROACH TO A HELIPAD LOCATED IN A GRASS AREA, JUST EAST OF THE RUNWAY. FOUR TIRES MARKED THE HELIPAD, ONE AT EACH CORNER. AS THE HELICOPTER NEARED THE GROUND, THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES STRUCK ONE OF THE TIRES. THE HELICOPTER THEN BEGAN TO ROTATE TO THE LEFT AND TOUCHED DOWN HARD ON THE HELIPAD, COMING TO REST UPRIGHT. EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER BY A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR REVEALED THAT THE GEARBOX HAD SEPARATED FROM THE TAIL BOOM, AND THE MAIN LANDING SKIDS WERE COLLAPSED AROUND BOTH SIDES OF THE FUSELAGE. THE RECORDED WEATHER AT A NEARBY AIRPORT, ABOUT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, INCLUDED WINDS FROM 290 DEGREES AT 8 KNOTS. (-23) THE AIRMAN STATED HE APPROACHED BLAIRSTOWN AIRPORT (1N7) FROM THE NORTHWEST AND STRUCK ONE OF FOUR TIRES USED TO MARK THE HELICOPTER LANDING AREA WITH THE TAIL ROTOR OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX ASSEMBLY SNAPPED OFF CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO ROTATE TO THE LEFT IN AN UNCONTROLLED MANNER. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND WITH THE LEFT SKID FIRST, HARD ENOUGH TO BEND THE CROSS TUBES WHICH FLATTENED OUTWARD ON BOTH SKIDS, AND SUBSEQUENTLY, ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT'S BELLY TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE MAIN ROTOR BUT THERE WAS WRINKLING OF THE TAIL BOOM SKIN ON THE LEFT SIDE, AFT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. ALSO, THE TAIL ROTOR GUARD SNAPPED OFF AND PUNCTURED THE LEFT SIDE OF THE TAIL BOOM. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.