What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Aircraft was being operated by the franklin county sheriff's department taking part in a drug eradication program. Flight was one-hour into a two-hour flight when aircraft was landed at a field site and was shut-down. Approximately one-hour later the aircraft departed the site to continue to look for marijuana. Shortly after take-off, the pilot stated he felt two vibrations and then heard a loud bang from the back. He stated the aircraft yawed to the right, he entered autorotation and maneuvered toward a small clearing and impacted the ground on its left side. Post accident investigation revealed the tail boom saddle attachment had failed, allowing the tail boom to move and sever the tail rotor drive shaft. This led to loss of control of the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED BY THE FRANKLIN COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT TAKING PART IN A DRUG ERADICATION PROGRAM. FLIGHT WAS ONE-HOUR INTO A TWO-HOUR FLIGHT WHEN AIRCRAFT WAS LANDED AT A FIELD SITE AND WAS SHUT-DOWN. APPROXIMATELY ONE-HOUR LATER THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE SITE TO CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR MARIJUANA. SHORTLY AFTER TAKE-OFF, THE PILOT STATED HE FELT TWO VIBRATIONS AND THEN HEARD A LOUD BANG FROM THE BACK. HE STATED THE AIRCRAFT YAWED TO THE RIGHT, HE ENTERED AUTOROTATION AND MANEUVERED TOWARD A SMALL CLEARING AND IMPACTED THE GROUND ON ITS LEFT SIDE. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE TAIL BOOM SADDLE ATTACHMENT HAD FAILED, ALLOWING THE TAIL BOOM TO MOVE AND SEVER THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT. THIS LED TO LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.