What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft was in cruise flight at approx 500 ft AGL when pilot reported the nose pitched up and rolled/yawed right. Pilot reacted by pushing cyclic forward. As aircraft passed through 180 deg the pilot observed the tail rotor pass in front of him and the nose is in a nose low attitude. Pilot stated that he pulled cyclic aft rapidly as FAR back as he could. The aircraft continued to spin and pilot lowered the collective. As trees came into view, the pilot pulled collective and aircraft impacted ground spinning. Trees caused the main rotor blades to be severed and remainder of tail boom to be seperated from aircraft. The tail rotor and aft 5 feet of tail boom were located intact approx 300 feet aft of the main aircraft wreckage. The tail rotor drive shaft was located approx 300 feet aft and 300 feet upslope from tail rotor. Two sections of the trail rotor drive shaft were torn from aircraft and the hanger bearing displayed marks where it had been impacted by the main rotor blade. The tail boom displayed indications that it had been severed by a main rotor blade. The aircraft impacted upright and level minus the tail boom and all 4 main rotor blades. The pilot egressed, and other than minor foot injures, was unhurt. He was transferred to a hospital for examination which revealed no further injuries and he was released later that evening.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT APPROX 500 FT AGL WHEN PILOT REPORTED THE NOSE PITCHED UP AND ROLLED/YAWED RIGHT. PILOT REACTED BY PUSHING CYCLIC FORWARD. AS AIRCRAFT PASSED THROUGH 180 DEG THE PILOT OBSERVED THE TAIL ROTOR PASS IN FRONT OF HIM AND THE NOSE IS IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. PILOT STATED THAT HE PULLED CYCLIC AFT RAPIDLY AS FAR BACK AS HE COULD. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO SPIN AND PILOT LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE. AS TREES CAME INTO VIEW, THE PILOT PULLED COLLECTIVE AND AIRCRAFT IMPACTED GROUND SPINNING. TREES CAUSED THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES TO BE SEVERED AND REMAINDER OF TAIL BOOM TO BE SEPERATED FROM AIRCRAFT. THE TAIL ROTOR AND AFT 5 FEET OF TAIL BOOM WERE LOCATED INTACT APPROX 300 FEET AFT OF THE MAIN AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE. THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT WAS LOCATED APPROX 300 FEET AFT AND 300 FEET UPSLOPE FROM TAIL ROTOR. TWO SECTIONS OF THE TRAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT WERE TORN FROM AIRCRAFT AND THE HANGER BEARING DISPLAYED MARKS WHERE IT HAD BEEN IMPACTED BY THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE. THE TAIL BOOM DISPLAYED INDICATIONS THAT IT HAD BEEN SEVERED BY A MAIN ROTOR BLADE.THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED UPRIGHT AND LEVEL MINUS THE TAIL BOOM AND ALL 4 MAIN ROTOR BLADES. THE PILOT EGRESSED, AND OTHER THAN MINOR FOOT INJURES, WAS UNHURT. HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO A HOSPITAL FOR EXAMINATION WHICH REVEALED NO FURTHER INJURIES AND HE WAS RELEASED LATER THAT EVENING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.