What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The accident occurred on the cfi's third training period of the day with the student. The aircraft remained in the traffic pattern on runway 18 for a series of autorotations with power recovery. While demonstrating an autorotation, the CFI stated that the IAS was high, but was corrected. Initiation of the flare was slightly lower than usual and he was unable to arrest the high sink rate prior to the aircraft contacting the runway with the aft portion of the skids. The aircraft pitched forward and the front skid cross tube failed from overload. Full collective was applied and the main rotor contacted the tail boom which detached the tail-rotor gear box. Uncommanded right yaw ensued and the aircraft skidded off the rwy onto the grass infield.
As the FAA filed it
THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON THE CFI'S THIRD TRAINING PERIOD OF THE DAY WITH THE STUDENT. THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN ON RUNWAY 18 FOR A SERIES OF AUTOROTATIONS WITH POWER RECOVERY. WHILE DEMONSTRATING AN AUTOROTATION, THE CFI STATED THAT THE IAS WAS HIGH, BUT WAS CORRECTED. INITIATION OF THE FLARE WAS SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN USUAL AND HE WAS UNABLE TO ARREST THE HIGH SINK RATE PRIOR TO THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTING THE RUNWAY WITH THE AFT PORTION OF THE SKIDS. THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED FORWARD AND THE FRONT SKID CROSS TUBE FAILED FROM OVERLOAD. FULL COLLECTIVE WAS APPLIED AND THE MAIN ROTOR CONTACTED THE TAIL BOOM WHICH DETACHED THE TAIL-ROTOR GEAR BOX. UNCOMMANDED RIGHT YAW ENSUED AND THE AIRCRAFT SKIDDED OFF THE RWY ONTO THE GRASS INFIELD.
Other reports on N8316D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.