What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 11/23/2012 while conducting a drug interdiction support flight (public use), pilot landed the helicopter in a remote desert area. After landing pilot set friction on both the collective and cylcic controls. Pilot did not recall setting collective spring lock. The helicopter was left at 100 % power. Aircraft became light on skids and began to slightly pitch up. Pilot made a pitch forward input to ensure contact with the ground. The helicopter began to exhibit vertical dynamic oscillations that continued to worsen. The pilot applied collective input in an attempt to lift off and regain aircraft stability. As the helicopter lifted off, it experienced an uncommanded downward pitch resulting in a very nose-low attitude. The pilot applied aft cyclic to compensate when in a 5 foot hover; the helicopter began an uncontrollable left yaw. The pilot stated he had no tail rotor control at this point. The pilot then landed the helicopter and performed an emergency shutdown. The helicopter came to rest in an upright position on the skids. Upon exiting the helicopter, the pilot observed that the tail rotor was missing and the aft section of the tail boom was severed. The only person onboard was the pilot who sustained minor injuries.
As the FAA filed it
ON 11/23/2012 WHILE CONDUCTING A DRUG INTERDICTION SUPPORT FLIGHT (PUBLIC USE), PILOT LANDED THE HELICOPTER IN A REMOTE DESERT AREA. AFTER LANDING PILOT SET FRICTION ON BOTH THE COLLECTIVE AND CYLCIC CONTROLS. PILOT DID NOT RECALL SETTING COLLECTIVE SPRING LOCK. THE HELICOPTER WAS LEFT AT 100 % POWER. AIRCRAFT BECAME LIGHT ON SKIDS AND BEGAN TO SLIGHTLY PITCH UP. PILOT MADE A PITCH FORWARD INPUT TO ENSURE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO EXHIBIT VERTICAL DYNAMIC OSCILLATIONS THAT CONTINUED TO WORSEN. THE PILOT APPLIED COLLECTIVE INPUT IN AN ATTEMPT TO LIFT OFF AND REGAIN AIRCRAFT STABILITY. AS THE HELICOPTER LIFTED OFF, IT EXPERIENCED AN UNCOMMANDED DOWNWARD PITCH RESULTING IN A VERY NOSE-LOW ATTITUDE. THE PILOT APPLIED AFT CYCLIC TO COMPENSATE WHEN IN A 5 FOOT HOVER; THE HELICOPTER BEGAN AN UNCONTROLLABLE LEFT YAW. THE PILOT STATED HE HAD NO TAIL ROTOR CONTROL AT THIS POINT. THE PILOT THEN LANDED THE HELICOPTER AND PERFORMED AN EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN. THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION ON THE SKIDS. UPON EXITING THE HELICOPTER, THE PILOT OBSERVED THAT THE TAIL ROTOR WAS MISSING AND THE AFT SECTION OF THE TAIL BOOM WAS SEVERED. THE ONLY PERSON ONBOARD WAS THE PILOT WHO SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.