What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot was increasing rotor blade pitch while in the take-off phase of flight. While still on the ground, helicopter experienced a rotor blade failure. Approximately a two foot section of the red blade tip separated from the main rotor blade; this separation created an imbalance of the rotor system. The imbalance caused the helicopter to pitch up, forcing the tail rotor into the ground. With the helicopter in a pitch up attitude, the rotor blades impacted the forward section of the fuselage, causing extensive damage to the cockpit section. The imbalance was of sufficent magnitude as to cause the transmission and rotor head assembly to break away from the transmission mounts. The helicopter was destroyed. No injuries to the pilot.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT WAS INCREASING ROTOR BLADE PITCH WHILE IN THE TAKE-OFF PHASE OF FLIGHT. WHILE STILL ON THE GROUND, HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED A ROTOR BLADE FAILURE. APPROXIMATELY A TWO FOOT SECTION OF THE RED BLADE TIP SEPARATED FROM THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE; THIS SEPARATION CREATED AN IMBALANCE OF THE ROTOR SYSTEM. THE IMBALANCE CAUSED THE HELICOPTER TO PITCH UP, FORCING THE TAIL ROTOR INTO THE GROUND. WITH THE HELICOPTER IN A PITCH UP ATTITUDE, THE ROTOR BLADES IMPACTED THE FORWARD SECTION OF THE FUSELAGE, CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE COCKPIT SECTION. THE IMBALANCE WAS OF SUFFICENT MAGNITUDE AS TO CAUSE THE TRANSMISSION AND ROTOR HEAD ASSEMBLY TO BREAK AWAY FROM THE TRANSMISSION MOUNTS. THE HELICOPTER WAS DESTROYED. NO 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.