What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot stated that he was approaching the south side of taxiway where he planned to hover at 10 feet and fly to his hangar. During transition, he lost tail rotor effectiveness, and the aircraft impacted the taxiway, bounced, and spun. He was unsure of all that happened during the sequence. The aircraft landed upright, with substantial damage. The tail rotor and main rotor blades impacted the ground. The main rotor blades impacted the tail boom. The landing gear collapsed at the left rear attach point. The fuselage bent behind the cabin area. The pilot/builder indicated that the aircraft could be rebuilt. The tail rotor and main rotor blades indicate that they were not a full speed when the aircraft impacted. Further information from the pilot indicated that he was performing an autorotation.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS APPROACHING THE SOUTH SIDE OF TAXIWAY WHERE HE PLANNED TO HOVER AT 10 FEET AND FLY TO HIS HANGAR. DURING TRANSITION, HE LOST TAIL ROTOR EFFECTIVENESS, AND THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE TAXIWAY, BOUNCED, AND SPUN. HE WAS UNSURE OF ALL THAT HAPPENED DURING THE SEQUENCE. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED UPRIGHT, WITH SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE TAIL ROTOR AND MAIN ROTOR BLADES IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES IMPACTED THE TAIL BOOM. THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AT THE LEFT REAR ATTACH POINT. THE FUSELAGE BENT BEHIND THE CABIN AREA. THE PILOT/BUILDER INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT COULD BE REBUILT. THE TAIL ROTOR AND MAIN ROTOR BLADES INDICATE THAT THEY WERE NOT A FULL SPEED WHEN THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED. FURTHER INFORMATION FROM THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE WAS PERFORMING AN AUTOROTATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.