What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) While engaged in aerial filming at approximately 200 feet AGL the pilot heard a loud bang followed by what he perceived as loss of positive collective control. He entered a power on autorotation to the ground. The aircraft landed hard on uneven terrain. The hard landing resulted in the main rotors chopping off the end of the tail boom. The collective stick bungee support bracket had failed resulting in the loss of tension to the collective control stick.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) WHILE ENGAGED IN AERIAL FILMING AT APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET AGL THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD BANG FOLLOWED BY WHAT HE PERCEIVED AS LOSS OF POSITIVE COLLECTIVE CONTROL. HE ENTERED A POWER ON AUTOROTATION TO THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD ON UNEVEN TERRAIN. THE HARD LANDING RESULTED IN THE MAIN ROTORS CHOPPING OFF THE END OF THE TAIL BOOM. THE COLLECTIVE STICK BUNGEE SUPPORT BRACKET HAD FAILED RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF TENSION TO THE COLLECTIVE CONTROL STICK.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.