What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) This was a training flight. The instructor had the student enter a 180 degree practice autorotation from 500' AGL. The maneuver was to end with a power recovery. The aircraft experienced a hard landing on runway 4 at mue. The hard landing caused the main rotor to flex down and slice through the tail boom just forward of the tail rotor gear box. The tail rotor and part of the tail boom separated from the aircraft on the initial impact. The aircraft bounced from the initial impact which placed it in the air without the tail rotor. After the second ground contact the aircraft spun 7 and one quarter times before coming to rest on the runway just left of centerline.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THIS WAS A TRAINING FLIGHT. THE INSTRUCTOR HAD THE STUDENT ENTER A 180 DEGREE PRACTICE AUTOROTATION FROM 500' AGL. THE MANEUVER WAS TO END WITH A POWER RECOVERY. THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A HARD LANDING ON RUNWAY 4 AT MUE. THE HARD LANDING CAUSED THE MAIN ROTOR TO FLEX DOWN AND SLICE THROUGH THE TAIL BOOM JUST FORWARD OF THE TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX. THE TAIL ROTOR AND PART OF THE TAIL BOOM SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT ON THE INITIAL IMPACT. THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT WHICH PLACED IT IN THE AIR WITHOUT THE TAIL ROTOR. AFTER THE SECOND GROUND CONTACT THE AIRCRAFT SPUN 7 AND ONE QUARTER TIMES BEFORE COMING TO REST ON THE RUNWAY JUST LEFT OF CENTERLINE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.