What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 19, 2009, at 1515HRS, in VMC conditions, a law enforcement helicopter was conducting recurrent training of pilots using a contract flight instructor. The aircraft carried a normal catagory airworthiness certificate. The flight instructor briefed the pilot on the emergency procedures for a loss of tailrotor thrust and reviewed the corrective actions. The pilot lifted off and established the aircraft in a hover. The flight instructor initiated the maneuver by applying right pedal until a slow right yaw had occurred. The pilot reduced the throttle and stopped the rotation and the aircraft contacted the ground. The flight instructor states at the time of ground contact the pilot reintroduced the throttle and the aircraft became airborne with low RPM and the right pedal still applied. The aircraft yawed to the right for approximately 270 degrees and climbed to about 7-10 feet. The flight instructor applied left pedal and the RPM remained low and decaying. The flight instructor attempted to cushion the aircraft with remaining collective pitch. RPM remained low and was insufficient to avoid a hard landing. The left landing failed and main rotor blades made ground contact.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 19, 2009, AT 1515HRS, IN VMC CONDITIONS, A LAW ENFORCEMENT HELICOPTER WAS CONDUCTING RECURRENT TRAINING OF PILOTS USING A CONTRACT FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR. THE AIRCRAFT CARRIED A NORMAL CATAGORY AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR BRIEFED THE PILOT ON THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES FOR A LOSS OF TAILROTOR THRUST AND REVIEWED THE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS. THE PILOT LIFTED OFF AND ESTABLISHED THE AIRCRAFT IN A HOVER. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR INITIATED THE MANEUVER BY APPLYING RIGHT PEDAL UNTIL A SLOW RIGHT YAW HAD OCCURRED. THE PILOT REDUCED THE THROTTLE AND STOPPED THE ROTATION AND THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE GROUND. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR STATES AT THE TIME OF GROUND CONTACT THE PILOT REINTRODUCED THE THROTTLE AND THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE WITH LOW RPM AND THE RIGHT PEDAL STILL APPLIED. THE AIRCRAFT YAWED TO THE RIGHT FOR APPROXIMATELY 270 DEGREES AND CLIMBED TO ABOUT 7-10 FEET. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR APPLIED LEFT PEDAL AND THE RPM REMAINED LOW AND DECAYING. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR ATTEMPTED TO CUSHION THE AIRCRAFT WITH REMAINING COLLECTIVE PITCH. RPM REMAINED LOW AND WAS INSUFFICIENT TO AVOID A HARD LANDING. THE LEFT LANDING FAILED AND MAIN ROTOR BLADES MADE GROUND CONTACT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.