What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
While performing an air taxi at 100' AGL during a 90 degree left turn the aircraft lost main rotor effectiveness resulting in the aircrafts inability to maintain altitude. The flight instructor attempted to correct but found the control inputs to be ineffective. While in a left bank approximately 40 to 45 degrees the main rotor contacted the ground leaving marks in the dirt. After several rotations of the main rotor the left skid contacted the ground. The aircraft skided approximately 100' before cartwheeling once. The tailboom broke off and foleded in resulting in the main fuselage of the aircraft to flip once more and come to rest on it ride side. The skid became detached from the aircraft landing some 10' away from the main wreckage.
As the FAA filed it
WHILE PERFORMING AN AIR TAXI AT 100' AGL DURING A 90 DEGREE LEFT TURN THE AIRCRAFT LOST MAIN ROTOR EFFECTIVENESS RESULTING IN THE AIRCRAFTS INABILITY TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT BUT FOUND THE CONTROL INPUTS TO BE INEFFECTIVE. WHILE IN A LEFT BANK APPROXIMATELY 40 TO 45 DEGREES THE MAIN ROTOR CONTACTED THE GROUND LEAVING MARKS IN THE DIRT. AFTER SEVERAL ROTATIONS OF THE MAIN ROTOR THE LEFT SKID CONTACTED THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT SKIDED APPROXIMATELY 100' BEFORE CARTWHEELING ONCE. THE TAILBOOM BROKE OFF AND FOLEDED IN RESULTING IN THE MAIN FUSELAGE OF THE AIRCRAFT TO FLIP ONCE MORE AND COME TO REST ON IT RIDE SIDE. THE SKID BECAME DETACHED FROM THE AIRCRAFT LANDING SOME 10' AWAY FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.