What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot departed eat for a local flight with his wife. A few miles from the airport, pilot heard an unusual mechanical noise from above and behind them. Pilot elected to return to airport, and on the way, heard the noise again. Pilot elected to go into a 4 foot hover to "sort out" the noise issue. The main rotor then departed the aircraft and the helicopter landed on the ramp hard, breaking the tail boom. The main rotor/hub was reported to rise about 500 feet above the ground, then landed about 300 feet away from the helicopter. Later inspection revealed that the main rotor mast broke about three inches below the wobble plate.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT DEPARTED EAT FOR A LOCAL FLIGHT WITH HIS WIFE. A FEW MILES FROM THE AIRPORT, PILOT HEARD AN UNUSUAL MECHANICAL NOISE FROM ABOVE AND BEHIND THEM. PILOT ELECTED TO RETURN TO AIRPORT, AND ON THE WAY, HEARD THE NOISE AGAIN. PILOT ELECTED TO GO INTO A 4 FOOT HOVER TO "SORT OUT" THE NOISE ISSUE. THE MAIN ROTOR THEN DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT AND THE HELICOPTER LANDED ON THE RAMP HARD, BREAKING THE TAIL BOOM. THE MAIN ROTOR/HUB WAS REPORTED TO RISE ABOUT 500 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THEN LANDED ABOUT 300 FEET AWAY FROM THE HELICOPTER. LATER INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE MAIN ROTOR MAST BROKE ABOUT THREE INCHES BELOW THE WOBBLE PLATE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.