What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 4-12-2013 @ 1612 local, maricopa sheriff (mcso) pilot privacy data omitted was practicing auto-rotations with mcso - instructor privacy data omitted in N119FT a Bell OH-58C at kdvt. privacy data omitted Was "slow" to throttle back up and subsequently impacted the ground sliding forward until tips of the skids dug into the soft dirt. The sudden forward momentum arched the tail boom upwards and flexed the main rotor blades downwards, at that point the main blades contacted the tail boom chopping off the tail rotor. No injuries to the crew of two. The helicopter's fuselage was also damaged by the impact to the ground.
As the FAA filed it
ON 4-12-2013 @ 1612 LOCAL, MARICOPA SHERIFF (MCSO) PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS PRACTICING AUTO-ROTATIONS WITH MCSO - INSTRUCTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IN N119FT A BELL OH-58C AT KDVT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS "SLOW" TO THROTTLE BACK UP AND SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACTED THE GROUND SLIDING FORWARD UNTIL TIPS OF THE SKIDS DUG INTO THE SOFT DIRT. THE SUDDEN FORWARD MOMENTUM ARCHED THE TAIL BOOM UPWARDS AND FLEXED THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES DOWNWARDS, AT THAT POINT THE MAIN BLADES CONTACTED THE TAIL BOOM CHOPPING OFF THE TAIL ROTOR. NO INJURIES TO THE CREW OF TWO. THE HELICOPTER'S FUSELAGE WAS ALSO DAMAGED BY THE IMPACT TO THE GROUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.