What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot was executing an approach into a confined area behind his house. Pilot stated that he landed the aircraft on the edge of a concrete helipad causing the aircraft to rock backwards when the tail rotor "came off." The helipad was elevated approximately four inches and the pilot stated that the aircraft had been moved up onto the helipad after the accident. On site investigation revealed the 90 degree gearbox and tailrotor completely separated from the aircraft with extensive damage to the tailrotor blades and assembly. Additionally, the vertical stabilizer was bent severely to the left indicating a nose left yaw. Fuselage inspection showed evidence of internal damage to the tail and engine mount structures. There were no noticeable ground marks indicating the tailrotor had struck the ground. The entire area around the helipad had been raked and smoothed recently.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT WAS EXECUTING AN APPROACH INTO A CONFINED AREA BEHIND HIS HOUSE. PILOT STATED THAT HE LANDED THE AIRCRAFT ON THE EDGE OF A CONCRETE HELIPAD CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO ROCK BACKWARDS WHEN THE TAIL ROTOR "CAME OFF." THE HELIPAD WAS ELEVATED APPROXIMATELY FOUR INCHES AND THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN MOVED UP ONTO THE HELIPAD AFTER THE ACCIDENT. ON SITE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE 90 DEGREE GEARBOX AND TAILROTOR COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT WITH EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE TAILROTOR BLADES AND ASSEMBLY. ADDITIONALLY, THE VERTICAL STABILIZER WAS BENT SEVERELY TO THE LEFT INDICATING A NOSE LEFT YAW. FUSELAGE INSPECTION SHOWED EVIDENCE OF INTERNAL DAMAGE TO THE TAIL AND ENGINE MOUNT STRUCTURES. THERE WERE NO NOTICEABLE GROUND MARKS INDICATING THE TAILROTOR HAD STRUCK THE GROUND. THE ENTIRE AREA AROUND THE HELIPAD HAD BEEN RAKED AND SMOOTHED RECENTLY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.