What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 11/13/2006, at approximately 1115 MST, during cruise flight on a VFR cross country flight from fort lauderdale, Florida, to albuquerque, new Mexico, flying at approximately 800 feet AGL, the crew of N24CF, a Bell helicopter, model UH-1H, experienced a severe vibration originating at the tail rotor. The pilot initiated a descent to a lower altitude and the vibration diminished. Yaw control was diminished and the helicopter yawed to the right and continued forward. As the pilot initiated an autorotation to land, the helicopter rotated in a clockwise direction and hit hard on the skids, flipping onto the right side. There was substantial damage to the main rotor system, fuselage, tailboom and internal structure. The tail rotor assembly could not be located at the site. Minor injuries to the passenger and serious injuries to the pilot.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 11/13/2006, AT APPROXIMATELY 1115 MST, DURING CRUISE FLIGHT ON A VFR CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA, TO ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, FLYING AT APPROXIMATELY 800 FEET AGL, THE CREW OF N24CF, A BELL HELICOPTER, MODEL UH-1H, EXPERIENCED A SEVERE VIBRATION ORIGINATING AT THE TAIL ROTOR. THE PILOT INITIATED A DESCENT TO A LOWER ALTITUDE AND THE VIBRATION DIMINISHED. YAW CONTROL WAS DIMINISHED AND THE HELICOPTER YAWED TO THE RIGHT AND CONTINUED FORWARD. AS THE PILOT INITIATED AN AUTOROTATION TO LAND, THE HELICOPTER ROTATED IN A CLOCKWISE DIRECTION AND HIT HARD ON THE SKIDS, FLIPPING ONTO THE RIGHT SIDE. THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM, FUSELAGE, TAILBOOM AND INTERNAL STRUCTURE. THE TAIL ROTOR ASSEMBLY COULD NOT BE LOCATED AT THE SITE. MINOR INJURIES TO THE PASSENGER AND SERIOUS INJURIES TO THE PILOT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.