What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot reported that while in hover at two feet AGL, the helicopter began to rotate to the right and tail rotor input was ineffective. As the speed of the rotation increased, he attempted to land. The helicopter came to rest on its left side approximately 250 feet from runway 15 and 200 feet from runway 24. A ground scar 4 feet to the right and 6 feet forward of the nose is 6 inches deep. A second ground scar was noted 21 feet aft of and 22 feet from where the tail boom came to rest. Paint chips were found at this location consistent with paint on the tail boom. The tail fin and tail rotor assembly separated from the tail boom at the base of the vertical fin. The tail fin rotated counterclockwise around the tail rotor drive shaft housing at impact. Ground scars from the main rotor were evident and all three main rotor blades were liberated. Significant structural damage was evident to the fuselage. Subsequent inspection at disassembly revealed a failure of the tail rotor drive shaft at the input to the lower 90 degree gearbox on the engine input side. There was evidence of oil spray on the left side of the tail rotor, fuselage, and cockpit canopy.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE IN HOVER AT TWO FEET AGL, THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO ROTATE TO THE RIGHT AND TAIL ROTOR INPUT WAS INEFFECTIVE. AS THE SPEED OF THE ROTATION INCREASED, HE ATTEMPTED TO LAND. THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST ON ITS LEFT SIDE APPROXIMATELY 250 FEET FROM RUNWAY 15 AND 200 FEET FROM RUNWAY 24. A GROUND SCAR 4 FEET TO THE RIGHT AND 6 FEET FORWARD OF THE NOSE IS 6 INCHES DEEP. A SECOND GROUND SCAR WAS NOTED 21 FEET AFT OF AND 22 FEET FROM WHERE THE TAIL BOOM CAME TO REST. PAINT CHIPS WERE FOUND AT THIS LOCATION CONSISTENT WITH PAINT ON THE TAIL BOOM. THE TAIL FIN AND TAIL ROTOR ASSEMBLY SEPARATED FROM THE TAIL BOOM AT THE BASE OF THE VERTICAL FIN. THE TAIL FIN ROTATED COUNTERCLOCKWISE AROUND THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT HOUSING AT IMPACT. GROUND SCARS FROM THE MAIN ROTOR WERE EVIDENT AND ALL THREE MAIN ROTOR BLADES WERE LIBERATED. SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURAL DAMAGE WAS EVIDENT TO THE FUSELAGE. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION AT DISASSEMBLY REVEALED A FAILURE OF THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT AT THE INPUT TO THE LOWER 90 DEGREE GEARBOX ON THE ENGINE INPUT SIDE. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF OIL SPRAY ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE TAIL ROTOR, FUSELAGE, AND COCKPIT CANOPY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.