What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Helicopter made four attempts to land on dolly (rolling platform)
The first attempt the helicopter was pointed west. The skids made heavy contact with the platform and as the helicopter made an aggressive lift off the platform rotated 180 degrees to the right. The helicopter then landed east of the platform facing west with engine running. Line men inspected the platform and added a third chalk to insure it was secure.
The second and third attempt the helicopter was pointed east with a slight tail wind. Some contact was made on the platform how ever the helicopter was either to FAR aft or to FAR left and right of center. On the fourth and final attempt and pointed east the helicopter skids touched the platform but was to FAR aft and the tail struck the ground three of four times. The helicopter pitched nose down and forward and then pitched nose up rotating left. The tail struck the ground braking off the tail rotor then the helicopter hit the ground on the skids. It rotated in a right turn on the skids for just over five minutes. After five minutes of rotation the tail boom broke causing the helicopter to rotate on to its right side. At that time the fire department was able to foam the engine and the helicopter.
As the FAA filed it
HELICOPTER MADE FOUR ATTEMPTS TO LAND ON DOLLY (ROLLING PLATFORM)
THE FIRST ATTEMPT THE HELICOPTER WAS POINTED WEST. THE SKIDS MADE HEAVY CONTACT WITH THE PLATFORM AND AS THE HELICOPTER MADE AN AGGRESSIVE LIFT OFF THE PLATFORM ROTATED 180 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT.THE HELICOPTER THEN LANDED EAST OF THE PLATFORM FACING WEST WITH ENGINE RUNNING. LINE MEN INSPECTED THE PLATFORM AND ADDED A THIRD CHALK TO INSURE IT WAS SECURE.
THE SECOND AND THIRD ATTEMPT THE HELICOPTER WAS POINTED EAST WITH A SLIGHT TAIL WIND. SOME CONTACT WAS MADE ON THE PLATFORM HOW EVER THE HELICOPTER WAS EITHER TO FAR AFT OR TO FAR LEFT AND RIGHT OF CENTER. ON THE FOURTH AND FINAL ATTEMPT AND POINTED EAST THE HELICOPTER SKIDS TOUCHED THE PLATFORM BUT WAS TO FAR AFT AND THE TAIL STRUCK THE GROUND THREE OF FOUR TIMES. THE HELICOPTER PITCHED NOSE DOWN AND FORWARD AND THEN PITCHED NOSE UP ROTATING LEFT. THE TAIL STRUCK THE GROUND BRAKING OFF THE TAIL ROTOR THEN THE HELICOPTER HIT THE GROUND ON THE SKIDS. IT ROTATED IN A RIGHT TURN ON THE SKIDS FOR JUST OVER FIVE MINUTES. AFTER FIVE MINUTES OF ROTATION THE TAIL BOOM BROKE CAUSING THE HELICOPTER TO ROTATE ON TO ITS RIGHT SIDE. AT THAT TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ABLE TO FOAM THE ENGINE AND THE HELICOPTER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.