What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot was conducting long line operations at a logging site. Dropped a load of logs and backed out of site, with aft cyclic at 40 PSI torque and allowed aircraft to "naturely" weather vane in wind to the right with nuetral pedal inputs, and transition to fwd flight. The maneuver is referred to as a "nose turn". The turn was reported as being slightly fast but still normal operation. At about 180 degrees pilot noted two slapping noises like the blade beating the air. No unsual flight charistics observed in forward flight. Continued normal flight until pilot pulled up to hover to pick up a load of logs but helicopter began spinning and he could not stop the spin with full pedal deflection. He put the aircraft into fwd flight and spin stopped. While attempting to land at landing zone the pilot dropped the 200 foot long line and landed while rotating slowly clockwise. On last rotation the vertical tail contacted a tree branch and torn the top trailing edge skin of the vert. Stab.. No other damage occured during landing but it was determined the RH rotor blades contacted the LH hub in flight and the trailing edged of blade b of RH main rotor blades was damaged when it contacted the LH rotor hub and the LH pitch change links where possibly struck which may have contributed to the helicopter rotating in hover slowly to the right. Full pedal and trim control inputs could not completely stop rotation.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT WAS CONDUCTING LONG LINE OPERATIONS AT A LOGGING SITE. DROPPED A LOAD OF LOGS AND BACKED OUT OF SITE, WITH AFT CYCLIC AT 40 PSI TORQUE AND ALLOWED AIRCRAFT TO "NATURELY" WEATHER VANE IN WIND TO THE RIGHT WITH NUETRAL PEDAL INPUTS, AND TRANSITION TO FWD FLIGHT. THE MANEUVER IS REFERRED TO AS A "NOSE TURN". THE TURN WAS REPORTED AS BEING SLIGHTLY FAST BUT STILL NORMAL OPERATION. AT ABOUT 180 DEGREES PILOT NOTED TWO SLAPPING NOISES LIKE THE BLADE BEATING THE AIR. NO UNSUAL FLIGHT CHARISTICS OBSERVED IN FORWARD FLIGHT. CONTINUED NORMAL FLIGHT UNTIL PILOT PULLED UP TO HOVER TO PICK UP A LOAD OF LOGS BUT HELICOPTER BEGAN SPINNING AND HE COULD NOT STOP THE SPIN WITH FULL PEDAL DEFLECTION. HE PUT THE AIRCRAFT INTO FWD FLIGHT AND SPIN STOPPED. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND AT LANDING ZONE THE PILOT DROPPED THE 200 FOOT LONG LINE AND LANDED WHILE ROTATING SLOWLY CLOCKWISE. ON LAST ROTATION THE VERTICAL TAIL CONTACTED A TREE BRANCH AND TORN THE TOP TRAILING EDGE SKIN OF THE VERT. STAB.. NO OTHER DAMAGE OCCURED DURING LANDING BUT IT WAS DETERMINED THE RH ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED THE LH HUB IN FLIGHT AND THE TRAILING EDGED OF BLADE B OF RH MAIN ROTOR BLADES WAS DAMAGED WHEN IT CONTACTED THE LH ROTOR HUB AND THE LH PITCH CHANGE LINKS WHERE POSSIBLY STRUCK WHICH MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE HELICOPTER ROTATING IN HOVER SLOWLY TO THE RIGHT. FULL PEDAL AND TRIM CONTROL INPUTS COULD NOT COMPLETELY STOP ROTATION.
Other reports on N674TH · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.