What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Helicopter experienced an engine tachometer system failure (over-speed indication) during takeoff at 200 feet AGL on a 140 degree heading. Pilot elected to return to airport and commenced a right turn placing the helicopter tail into the relative wind (approximately 10 knots from the east) with two passengers onboard. Immediately the rotor low RPM warning sounded/illuminated. Pilot lowered the collective and applied power and continued towards the airport. Within seconds the rotor warning sounded/illuminated a second time and pilot lowered the collective and elected to make an emergency landing on the sand. Helicopter impacted the ground(sand) rocking forward then aft causing the main rotor blades to contact and separate the tail boom and tail rotor from the helicopter. The helicopter remained in an upright position with no injuries to pilot or passengers.
As the FAA filed it
HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE TACHOMETER SYSTEM FAILURE (OVER-SPEED INDICATION) DURING TAKEOFF AT 200 FEET AGL ON A 140 DEGREE HEADING. PILOT ELECTED TO RETURN TO AIRPORT AND COMMENCED A RIGHT TURN PLACING THE HELICOPTER TAIL INTO THE RELATIVE WIND (APPROXIMATELY 10 KNOTS FROM THE EAST) WITH TWO PASSENGERS ONBOARD. IMMEDIATELY THE ROTOR LOW RPM WARNING SOUNDED/ILLUMINATED. PILOT LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND APPLIED POWER AND CONTINUED TOWARDS THE AIRPORT. WITHIN SECONDS THE ROTOR WARNING SOUNDED/ILLUMINATED A SECOND TIME AND PILOT LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND ELECTED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON THE SAND. HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE GROUND(SAND) ROCKING FORWARD THEN AFT CAUSING THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES TO CONTACT AND SEPARATE THE TAIL BOOM AND TAIL ROTOR FROM THE HELICOPTER. THE HELICOPTER REMAINED IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION WITH NO INJURIES TO PILOT OR PASSENGERS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.