What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The evolution began at the Memorial Hermann helicopter pad with the aircraft on a west heading. The PIC had returned from refueling at sgr to pick-up the crew. He lifted into a hover, peddle turned to a southernly heading, into the observed wind while climbing and side slipped to the east.
Out of ground effect (oge) hover and no translational lift mixed with turbulent winds of approximately 11 mph, with gusts of approximately 21 mph, that where multidirectional, prevented the PIC from establishing a constant heading. The PIC fought to maintain heading but, soon opted to settle and land because of the resultant loss of tailrotor effectiveness (lte).
The landing was to the s.e. corner of the pad, in the grass. The ground was slopping, and the left aircraft skid and tail vertical fin stinger struck the ground in a way that cause the collapse of the left skid and tail rotor to twist allowing the tailrotor blades to partcially sever the drive shaft and boom.
The PIC quickly performed the emergency shut down of the aircraft and the crew exited the vehicle.
As the FAA filed it
THE EVOLUTION BEGAN AT THE MEMORIAL HERMANN HELICOPTER PAD WITH THE AIRCRAFT ON A WEST HEADING. THE PIC HAD RETURNED FROM REFUELING AT SGR TO PICK-UP THE CREW. HE LIFTED INTO A HOVER, PEDDLE TURNED TO A SOUTHERNLY HEADING, INTO THE OBSERVED WIND WHILE CLIMBING AND SIDE SLIPPED TO THE EAST.
OUT OF GROUND EFFECT (OGE) HOVER AND NO TRANSLATIONAL LIFT MIXED WITH TURBULENT WINDS OF APPROXIMATELY 11 MPH, WITH GUSTS OF APPROXIMATELY 21 MPH, THAT WHERE MULTIDIRECTIONAL, PREVENTED THE PIC FROM ESTABLISHING A CONSTANT HEADING. THE PIC FOUGHT TO MAINTAIN HEADING BUT, SOON OPTED TO SETTLE AND LAND BECAUSE OF THE RESULTANT LOSS OF TAILROTOR EFFECTIVENESS (LTE).
THE LANDING WAS TO THE S.E. CORNER OF THE PAD, IN THE GRASS. THE GROUND WAS SLOPPING, AND THE LEFT AIRCRAFT SKID AND TAIL VERTICAL FIN STINGER STRUCK THE GROUND IN A WAY THAT CAUSE THE COLLAPSE OF THE LEFT SKID AND TAIL ROTOR TO TWIST ALLOWING THE TAILROTOR BLADES TO PARTCIALLY SEVER THE DRIVE SHAFT AND BOOM.
THE PIC QUICKLY PERFORMED THE EMERGENCY SHUT DOWN OF THE AIRCRAFT AND THE CREW EXITED THE VEHICLE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.