What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot was in a climb on the crosswind pattern and encountered a shudder in the aircraft. The pilot stated he immediataely entered an autorotation with power on and turned back toward the airfield. During the descent the pilot added collective to extend the glide over trees to get to the airport. He stated the aircraft skids cleared the trees by a few feet and then he added aft cyclic to flare which lowered the tail rotor. The tail rotor struck a tree and the aircraft immediately began to spin and impacted the ground several times until coming to a rest on an easterly heading on the taxiway. The pilot egressed the aircraft with only minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The post crash investigation revealed excessive burning and deformation of a clutch mechanism in the drivetrain and is under further investigation by the NTSB.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT WAS IN A CLIMB ON THE CROSSWIND PATTERN AND ENCOUNTERED A SHUDDER IN THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT STATED HE IMMEDIATAELY ENTERED AN AUTOROTATION WITH POWER ON AND TURNED BACK TOWARD THE AIRFIELD. DURING THE DESCENT THE PILOT ADDED COLLECTIVE TO EXTEND THE GLIDE OVER TREES TO GET TO THE AIRPORT. HE STATED THE AIRCRAFT SKIDS CLEARED THE TREES BY A FEW FEET AND THEN HE ADDED AFT CYCLIC TO FLARE WHICH LOWERED THE TAIL ROTOR. THE TAIL ROTOR STRUCK A TREE AND THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO SPIN AND IMPACTED THE GROUND SEVERAL TIMES UNTIL COMING TO A REST ON AN EASTERLY HEADING ON THE TAXIWAY. THE PILOT EGRESSED THE AIRCRAFT WITH ONLY MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. THE POST CRASH INVESTIGATION REVEALED EXCESSIVE BURNING AND DEFORMATION OF A CLUTCH MECHANISM IN THE DRIVETRAIN AND IS UNDER FURTHER INVESTIGATION BY THE NTSB.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.