What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot reported that just prior to touchdown, fifteen to twenty feet above the ground, the aircraft lost tail rotor effectiveness and spun around several times. He said he executed a hovering autorotation and landed the aircraft resulting in a hard landing. Examination of the aircraft revealed a bent forward cross tube, a bent aft cross tube, and structural damage to the fuselage in the area of the left aft cross tube attach point. No injuries were reported by the pilot or passengers. Further examination of the aircraft revealed a failure of the aft tail rotor driveshaft segment. The bond between the shaft and the forward attach flange had failed. Turning the rotor system through by hand showed continuity within the tail rotor system. But, when pressure was induced by turning the main rotor and holding the tail rotor, a loud bang was heard as the bond would intermittently fail. Tail rotor shaft assembly was sent to Bell helicopters by the NTSB.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT REPORTED THAT JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN, FIFTEEN TO TWENTY FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE AIRCRAFT LOST TAIL ROTOR EFFECTIVENESS AND SPUN AROUND SEVERAL TIMES. HE SAID HE EXECUTED A HOVERING AUTOROTATION AND LANDED THE AIRCRAFT RESULTING IN A HARD LANDING. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED A BENT FORWARD CROSS TUBE, A BENT AFT CROSS TUBE, AND STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE IN THE AREA OF THE LEFT AFT CROSS TUBE ATTACH POINT. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED BY THE PILOT OR PASSENGERS. FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED A FAILURE OF THE AFT TAIL ROTOR DRIVESHAFT SEGMENT. THE BOND BETWEEN THE SHAFT AND THE FORWARD ATTACH FLANGE HAD FAILED. TURNING THE ROTOR SYSTEM THROUGH BY HAND SHOWED CONTINUITY WITHIN THE TAIL ROTOR SYSTEM. BUT, WHEN PRESSURE WAS INDUCED BY TURNING THE MAIN ROTOR AND HOLDING THE TAIL ROTOR, A LOUD BANG WAS HEARD AS THE BOND WOULD INTERMITTENTLY FAIL. TAIL ROTOR SHAFT ASSEMBLY WAS SENT TO BELL HELICOPTERS BY THE NTSB.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.