What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
A Schweizer helicopter assigned to bristow academy was on an instructional flight performing basic maneuver review and running landings. The crew utilizing an alternate training area described as ?alpha? In which was used earlier in the day. Therefore conditions were not a factor. The instructor previously demonstrated this maneuver landing to the west with a power setting at 24 and followed up with a second landing at a lower power setting. The helicopter touched down with a straight ground track. After ground contact the weight of the aircraft began to shift forward the instructor then applied collective, followed by braking action. Unfortunately with the weight of the aircraft forward and speed dissipated it abruptly pitched down causing a forward rolling action. Aft cyclic was not applied, instead increased collective was input to reduce friction on the skids. It was believed at that point the aircraft skids tubes released from the ground however this sensation was immediately followed by a descending right roll and subsequent rotor blade impact of the ground. On arrival a preliminary inspection was performed, ground scaring was observed and a complete damage assessment could not be performed. Damaged parts include but are not limited to: undercarriage, cabin/windows, main rotor head, blades and tail boom. Initial inspection on scene does not indicate mechanical failure.
As the FAA filed it
A SCHWEIZER HELICOPTER ASSIGNED TO BRISTOW ACADEMY WAS ON AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT PERFORMING BASIC MANEUVER REVIEW AND RUNNING LANDINGS. THE CREW UTILIZING AN ALTERNATE TRAINING AREA DESCRIBED AS ?ALPHA? IN WHICH WAS USED EARLIER IN THE DAY. THEREFORE CONDITIONS WERE NOT A FACTOR. THE INSTRUCTOR PREVIOUSLY DEMONSTRATED THIS MANEUVER LANDING TO THE WEST WITH A POWER SETTING AT 24 AND FOLLOWED UP WITH A SECOND LANDING AT A LOWER POWER SETTING. THE HELICOPTER TOUCHED DOWN WITH A STRAIGHT GROUND TRACK. AFTER GROUND CONTACT THE WEIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO SHIFT FORWARD THE INSTRUCTOR THEN APPLIED COLLECTIVE, FOLLOWED BY BRAKING ACTION. UNFORTUNATELY WITH THE WEIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT FORWARD AND SPEED DISSIPATED IT ABRUPTLY PITCHED DOWN CAUSING A FORWARD ROLLING ACTION. AFT CYCLIC WAS NOT APPLIED, INSTEAD INCREASED COLLECTIVE WAS INPUT TO REDUCE FRICTION ON THE SKIDS. IT WAS BELIEVED AT THAT POINT THE AIRCRAFT SKIDS TUBES RELEASED FROM THE GROUND HOWEVER THIS SENSATION WAS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY A DESCENDING RIGHT ROLL AND SUBSEQUENT ROTOR BLADE IMPACT OF THE GROUND. ON ARRIVAL A PRELIMINARY INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED, GROUND SCARING WAS OBSERVED AND A COMPLETE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT COULD NOT BE PERFORMED. DAMAGED PARTS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO: UNDERCARRIAGE, CABIN/WINDOWS, MAIN ROTOR HEAD, BLADES AND TAIL BOOM. INITIAL INSPECTION ON SCENE DOES NOT INDICATE MECHANICAL FAILURE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.