What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On July 17 2006 a Bell helicopter model 206B, serial number 3456, N515AA departed Pompano Beach airport (kpmp). This was a 14 CFR 91 flight and visual conditions prevailed at the time. The intent of the flight was to practice steep approaches and conduct an operational check of the freon air-conditioning system. The pilot held an ATP and flight instructor rating. The pilot stated that one steep approach was conducted without incident. A second approach was initiated. The approach began at the boundary of the airport slightly paralleling runway 15. The intended landing spot was the mid-point of taxiway f. at about 350 feet above ground level (AGL) the pilot stated the bottom of the helicopter felt like it was going to fall out (sluggish and lack of power). His airspeed was 45 knots indicated at a heading of 140. The reported winds were 130 degrees at 9 knots. He also noted that the rotor RPM had dropped to 95% (still within the green arc) and there was a noise emanating from the rear of the aircraft. Fearing a pending failure the pilot decided to increase airspeed that would allow for a safe autorotation and land the helicopter as soon as possible. The pilot decided to attempta run-on landing in the grass just beyond taxiway f. the pilot stated that he put the helicopter down on the skids in a level attitude. After landing, the aircraft seemed to porpoise hitting the nose and tail rotor before sliding, rolling over with subsequent damage severing the tailboom and main rotor blades. Kpmp air traffic control reported that the helicopter reached approximately 50 feet and then went nose down. Ground scars indicate the helicopter landed tail low. A long single ground scar from the tail stinger was observed. A ten to twelve foot separation between the tail stinger scare and the imprint of the skids indicate the helicopter was in a steep flare and then fell to the ground. The tailboom severed just aft of the horizontal stabilizer. This indicates that excessive aft cyclic may have been used which allowed the main rotor to contact the tailboom. There was a short distance between the ground imprint of the skids and the fuselage scar indicating the helicopter may have bounced and landed on its left side sliding to a stop. Further investigation discovered the freon air-conditioned compressor drive belt was not installed correctly. It had jumped the drive pulley on the tail-rotor driveshaft. This may have been the source of noise the pilot heard coming from behind him and a contributing factor to the accident.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON JULY 17 2006 A BELL HELICOPTER MODEL 206B, SERIAL NUMBER 3456, N515AA DEPARTED POMPANO BEACH AIRPORT (KPMP). THIS WAS A 14 CFR 91 FLIGHT AND VISUAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME. THE INTENT OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO PRACTICE STEEP APPROACHES AND CONDUCT AN OPERATIONAL CHECK OF THE FREON AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM. THE PILOT HELD AN ATP AND FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR RATING. THE PILOT STATED THAT ONE STEEP APPROACH WAS CONDUCTED WITHOUT INCIDENT. A SECOND APPROACH WAS INITIATED. THE APPROACH BEGAN AT THE BOUNDARY OF THE AIRPORT SLIGHTLY PARALLELING RUNWAY 15. THE INTENDED LANDING SPOT WAS THE MID-POINT OF TAXIWAY F. AT ABOUT 350 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) THE PILOT STATED THE BOTTOM OF THE HELICOPTER FELT LIKE IT WAS GOING TO FALL OUT (SLUGGISH AND LACK OF POWER). HIS AIRSPEED WAS 45 KNOTS INDICATED AT A HEADING OF 140. THE REPORTED WINDS WERE 130 DEGREES AT 9 KNOTS. HE ALSO NOTED THAT THE ROTOR RPM HAD DROPPED TO 95% (STILL WITHIN THE GREEN ARC) AND THERE WAS A NOISE EMANATING FROM THE REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT. FEARING A PENDING FAILURE THE PILOT DECIDED TO INCREASE AIRSPEED THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR A SAFE AUTOROTATION AND LAND THE HELICOPTER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE PILOT DECIDED TO ATTEMPTA RUN-ON LANDING IN THE GRASS JUST BEYOND TAXIWAY F. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE PUT THE HELICOPTER DOWN ON THE SKIDS IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE. AFTER LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT SEEMED TO PORPOISE HITTING THE NOSE AND TAIL ROTOR BEFORE SLIDING, ROLLING OVER WITH SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE SEVERING THE TAILBOOM AND MAIN ROTOR BLADES. KPMP AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL REPORTED THAT THE HELICOPTER REACHED APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET AND THEN WENT NOSE DOWN. GROUND SCARS INDICATE THE HELICOPTER LANDED TAIL LOW. A LONG SINGLE GROUND SCAR FROM THE TAIL STINGER WAS OBSERVED. A TEN TO TWELVE FOOT SEPARATION BETWEEN THE TAIL STINGER SCARE AND THE IMPRINT OF THE SKIDS INDICATE THE HELICOPTER WAS IN A STEEP FLARE AND THEN FELL TO THE GROUND. THE TAILBOOM SEVERED JUST AFT OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. THIS INDICATES THAT EXCESSIVE AFT CYCLIC MAY HAVE BEEN USED WHICH ALLOWED THE MAIN ROTOR TO CONTACT THE TAILBOOM. THERE WAS A SHORT DISTANCE BETWEEN THE GROUND IMPRINT OF THE SKIDS AND THE FUSELAGE SCAR INDICATING THE HELICOPTER MAY HAVE BOUNCED AND LANDED ON ITS LEFT SIDE SLIDING TO A STOP. FURTHER INVESTIGATION DISCOVERED THE FREON AIR-CONDITIONED COMPRESSOR DRIVE BELT WAS NOT INSTALLED CORRECTLY. IT HAD JUMPED THE DRIVE PULLEY ON THE TAIL-ROTOR DRIVESHAFT. THIS MAY HAVE BEEN THE SOURCE OF NOISE THE PILOT HEARD COMING FROM BEHIND HIM AND A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.