What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 4/22/2009, PIC privacy data omitted was demonstrating a pinnacle approach to his student within the foothills adjacent to the northwest practice area, and approximately 15 miles n/w of the north Las Vegas airport (vgt). PIC privacy data omitted performed a high recon of the intended landing site and then started a descending landing pattern for the pinnacle. PIC turned from base to final at approximately 4,100 feet, and was on a stabilized steep approach for the pinnacle. At an altitude of approximately 15 feet above the landing site the PIC noticed a slight fluctuation of the oil pressure guage, and then the engine quit. PIC immediately determined that an autorotation to this site was not a safe option. PIC elected to use what rotor RPM he had remaining to clear the ridgeline, and hope for a favorable forced landing site on the west side of the ridge. The rotor RPM decayed prior to reaching a suitable landing site, causing the tailboom to strike the descending/sloping terrain which caused tailrotor separation. Once this occurred, the skids also made contact with the terrain bouncing the helicopter downslope. The main rotor blades did strike the tailboom at some point during this descent, or during the rollover process.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 4/22/2009, PIC ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS DEMONSTRATING A PINNACLE APPROACH TO HIS STUDENT WITHIN THE FOOTHILLS ADJACENT TO THE NORTHWEST PRACTICE AREA, AND APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES N/W OF THE NORTH LAS VEGAS AIRPORT (VGT). PIC ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PERFORMED A HIGH RECON OF THE INTENDED LANDING SITE AND THEN STARTED A DESCENDING LANDING PATTERN FOR THE PINNACLE. PIC TURNED FROM BASE TO FINAL AT APPROXIMATELY 4,100 FEET, AND WAS ON A STABILIZED STEEP APPROACH FOR THE PINNACLE. AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET ABOVE THE LANDING SITE THE PIC NOTICED A SLIGHT FLUCTUATION OF THE OIL PRESSURE GUAGE, AND THEN THE ENGINE QUIT. PIC IMMEDIATELY DETERMINED THAT AN AUTOROTATION TO THIS SITE WAS NOT A SAFE OPTION. PIC ELECTED TO USE WHAT ROTOR RPM HE HAD REMAINING TO CLEAR THE RIDGELINE, AND HOPE FOR A FAVORABLE FORCED LANDING SITE ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE RIDGE. THE ROTOR RPM DECAYED PRIOR TO REACHING A SUITABLE LANDING SITE, CAUSING THE TAILBOOM TO STRIKE THE DESCENDING/SLOPING TERRAIN WHICH CAUSED TAILROTOR SEPARATION. ONCE THIS OCCURRED, THE SKIDS ALSO MADE CONTACT WITH THE TERRAIN BOUNCING THE HELICOPTER DOWNSLOPE. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES DID STRIKE THE TAILBOOM AT SOME POINT DURING THIS DESCENT, OR DURING THE ROLLOVER PROCESS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N17YS · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.