What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The helicopter air taxied to the southwest side of Birmingham Airport for the purpose of hovering the helicopter in a practice area on a training flight at night without use of the landing light. While transitioning from air taxing to a hover, the commercial pilot flying and not helicopter rated, let the sink rate increase to where the flight instructor got on the controls and tried to add power to stop the descent. The aircraft hit the ground in a crabbed attitude, and landed hard on the left skid. The left skid collapsed. The aircraft rolled on the left side braking the boom and each rotor blade received a ground strike.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE HELICOPTER AIR TAXIED TO THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT FOR THE PURPOSE OF HOVERING THE HELICOPTER IN A PRACTICE AREA ON A TRAINING FLIGHT AT NIGHT WITHOUT USE OF THE LANDING LIGHT. WHILE TRANSITIONING FROM AIR TAXING TO A HOVER, THE COMMERCIAL PILOT FLYING AND NOT HELICOPTER RATED, LET THE SINK RATE INCREASE TO WHERE THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR GOT ON THE CONTROLS AND TRIED TO ADD POWER TO STOP THE DESCENT. THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE GROUND IN A CRABBED ATTITUDE, AND LANDED HARD ON THE LEFT SKID. THE LEFT SKID COLLAPSED. THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED ON THE LEFT SIDE BRAKING THE BOOM AND EACH ROTOR BLADE RECEIVED A GROUND STRIKE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.