What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot was conducting a low level photo mission of property. Pressure altitude was approximately 7,435 MSL, temperature 24 degrees c, calculation indicates da at 10,000 feet, winds were coming up the canyon from south east at approximately 10 knots. Pilot turned aircraft downwind at approximately 60 feet with 30 knots of airspeed. Aircraft began to descend. Pilot interpreted this as settling with power but states that there was no increase in aircraft vibration or sloppyness in flight controls. Pilot decreased collective thinking it would help get out of his perceived settling with power condition, descent increased and pilot increased collective just before tail rotor impacted sage brush. Tail rotor impacted sage brush and sheared coupling on tail rotor drive shaft. Aircraft bounced into air and made one or two 360 degree rotations the impacted hard on left rear portion of skid. Aircraft became airborne and slid right approximately 15 feet then impacted hard coming to rest. Damage to aft fuselage, tail boom became separated on left attaching points, tail rotor drive shaft sheared at input coupling to tail rotor gear box, damage to tail rotor blades, collapsed left skid and aft right skid.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT WAS CONDUCTING A LOW LEVEL PHOTO MISSION OF PROPERTY. PRESSURE ALTITUDE WAS APPROXIMATELY 7,435 MSL, TEMPERATURE 24 DEGREES C, CALCULATION INDICATES DA AT 10,000 FEET, WINDS WERE COMING UP THE CANYON FROM SOUTH EAST AT APPROXIMATELY 10 KNOTS. PILOT TURNED AIRCRAFT DOWNWIND AT APPROXIMATELY 60 FEET WITH 30 KNOTS OF AIRSPEED. AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO DESCEND. PILOT INTERPRETED THIS AS SETTLING WITH POWER BUT STATES THAT THERE WAS NO INCREASE IN AIRCRAFT VIBRATION OR SLOPPYNESS IN FLIGHT CONTROLS. PILOT DECREASED COLLECTIVE THINKING IT WOULD HELP GET OUT OF HIS PERCEIVED SETTLING WITH POWER CONDITION, DESCENT INCREASED AND PILOT INCREASED COLLECTIVE JUST BEFORE TAIL ROTOR IMPACTED SAGE BRUSH. TAIL ROTOR IMPACTED SAGE BRUSH AND SHEARED COUPLING ON TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT. AIRCRAFT BOUNCED INTO AIR AND MADE ONE OR TWO 360 DEGREE ROTATIONS THE IMPACTED HARD ON LEFT REAR PORTION OF SKID. AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE AND SLID RIGHT APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET THEN IMPACTED HARD COMING TO REST. DAMAGE TO AFT FUSELAGE, TAIL BOOM BECAME SEPARATED ON LEFT ATTACHING POINTS, TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT SHEARED AT INPUT COUPLING TO TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX, DAMAGE TO TAIL ROTOR BLADES, COLLAPSED LEFT SKID AND AFT RIGHT SKID.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.