What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
CFI privacy data omitted was instructing private pilot privacy data omitted on performing off airport "pinnacle" landings in this helicopter. Density altitude was high with hio METAR temperature of 83F on departure from hio at 1400 PDT. At 1430 PDT, pilot skredsvig hovered above pinnacle at 1000 ft MSL 5 miles west of hio and landed helicopter without incident. 2nd hover to landing attempted at same spot from different approach direction, and pilot reported rotor RPM was at bottom of green arc, and falling, with throttle at full power. CFI took over controls during hover a few feet above landing site, and attempted to fly downhill from landing zone to build rotor RPM. There was insufficient altitude drop from landing zone to surrounding terrain for recovering rotor speed, and helicopter crashed about 50 yards away from lack of power and rotor RPM to regain flight. No injuries to either pilot as helicopter landed on skids, but tail rotor struck a log and broke the tail rotor drive shaft. Substantial damage incurred to tail boom, drive shaft, stabilizer, and tail rotor gearbox mount points.
As the FAA filed it
CFI ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS INSTRUCTING PRIVATE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ON PERFORMING OFF AIRPORT "PINNACLE" LANDINGS IN THIS HELICOPTER. DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS HIGH WITH HIO METAR TEMPERATURE OF 83F ON DEPARTURE FROM HIO AT 1400 PDT. AT 1430 PDT, PILOT SKREDSVIG HOVERED ABOVE PINNACLE AT 1000 FT MSL 5 MILES WEST OF HIO AND LANDED HELICOPTER WITHOUT INCIDENT. 2ND HOVER TO LANDING ATTEMPTED AT SAME SPOT FROM DIFFERENT APPROACH DIRECTION, AND PILOT REPORTED ROTOR RPM WAS AT BOTTOM OF GREEN ARC, AND FALLING, WITH THROTTLE AT FULL POWER. CFI TOOK OVER CONTROLS DURING HOVER A FEW FEET ABOVE LANDING SITE, AND ATTEMPTED TO FLY DOWNHILL FROM LANDING ZONE TO BUILD ROTOR RPM. THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE DROP FROM LANDING ZONE TO SURROUNDING TERRAIN FOR RECOVERING ROTOR SPEED, AND HELICOPTER CRASHED ABOUT 50 YARDS AWAY FROM LACK OF POWER AND ROTOR RPM TO REGAIN FLIGHT. NO INJURIES TO EITHER PILOT AS HELICOPTER LANDED ON SKIDS, BUT TAIL ROTOR STRUCK A LOG AND BROKE THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE INCURRED TO TAIL BOOM, DRIVE SHAFT, STABILIZER, AND TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX MOUNT POINTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.