What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The flight initially consisted of maneuvers such as hovering, autorotations and rapid decelerations over a sod area at the Georgetown Municipal Airport (gtu). The flight then progressed with stop-and-go landings involving normal takeoffs and concluding with normal aproaches and steep approaches. At around 1445 CDT while in right traffic pattern for kilo taxiway the student pilot flying left seat was on the controls explaining the maneuvers to CFI in the right seat. As the CFI is looking out clearing the helicopter for the right turn, he hears a low rotor RPM horn. Immediately CFI takes over the controls and pushed down on the collective while applying throttle. The horn and light went out, student pilot and CFI observed engine and rotor RPM go above 97%. CFI began the turn and heard the low rotor RPM horn again. CFI and student pilot saw the engine RPM and rotor RPM dropping again. At that time CFI determined engine was not capable of maintaining a safe rotor RPM and entered an auto-rotation to the only spot available student pilot could see. Airspeed indicator was around 50-60KTS. CFI thought engine had quit because he did not hear the engine running. CFI was focused on maintaining rotor RPM and making his forced landing spot. At around 30-40 ft. AGL, CFI began flare to reduce forward speed and rate of decent. CFI touched down with skids leveled carrying a little forward airspeed. The cfi's skid impacted a concrete driveway. This pitched the helicopter nose low, tail high and a right yaw. CFI was able to maintain a leveled attitude with minimal drift using the cyclic. The aircraft finally settled on the concrete driveway nose low then teetering aft causing the tail to strike the ground. The tail rotor blades sheared off from the tail rotor spindles on impact. The vertical stabilizer and left skid sustained substantial damage from the impact. CFI noticed engine was at idle and performed an emergency shutdown while student pilot turned off the fuel shut off valve. No post crash fire and no injury to pilots. NTSB hired a mechanic to inspect engine. Report may be amended upon outcome of NTSB results.
As the FAA filed it
THE FLIGHT INITIALLY CONSISTED OF MANEUVERS SUCH AS HOVERING, AUTOROTATIONS AND RAPID DECELERATIONS OVER A SOD AREA AT THE GEORGETOWN MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (GTU). THE FLIGHT THEN PROGRESSED WITH STOP-AND-GO LANDINGS INVOLVING NORMAL TAKEOFFS AND CONCLUDING WITH NORMAL APROACHES AND STEEP APPROACHES. AT AROUND 1445 CDT WHILE IN RIGHT TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR KILO TAXIWAY THE STUDENT PILOT FLYING LEFT SEAT WAS ON THE CONTROLS EXPLAINING THE MANEUVERS TO CFI IN THE RIGHT SEAT. AS THE CFI IS LOOKING OUT CLEARING THE HELICOPTER FOR THE RIGHT TURN, HE HEARS A LOW ROTOR RPM HORN. IMMEDIATELY CFI TAKES OVER THE CONTROLS AND PUSHED DOWN ON THE COLLECTIVE WHILE APPLYING THROTTLE. THE HORN AND LIGHT WENT OUT, STUDENT PILOT AND CFI OBSERVED ENGINE AND ROTOR RPM GO ABOVE 97%. CFI BEGAN THE TURN AND HEARD THE LOW ROTOR RPM HORN AGAIN. CFI AND STUDENT PILOT SAW THE ENGINE RPM AND ROTOR RPM DROPPING AGAIN. AT THAT TIME CFI DETERMINED ENGINE WAS NOT CAPABLE OF MAINTAINING A SAFE ROTOR RPM AND ENTERED AN AUTO-ROTATION TO THE ONLY SPOT AVAILABLE STUDENT PILOT COULD SEE. AIRSPEED INDICATOR WAS AROUND 50-60KTS. CFI THOUGHT ENGINE HAD QUIT BECAUSE HE DID NOT HEAR THE ENGINE RUNNING. CFI WAS FOCUSED ON MAINTAINING ROTOR RPM AND MAKING HIS FORCED LANDING SPOT. AT AROUND 30-40 FT. AGL, CFI BEGAN FLARE TO REDUCE FORWARD SPEED AND RATE OF DECENT. CFI TOUCHED DOWN WITH SKIDS LEVELED CARRYING A LITTLE FORWARD AIRSPEED. THE CFI'S SKID IMPACTED A CONCRETE DRIVEWAY. THIS PITCHED THE HELICOPTER NOSE LOW, TAIL HIGH AND A RIGHT YAW. CFI WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN A LEVELED ATTITUDE WITH MINIMAL DRIFT USING THE CYCLIC. THE AIRCRAFT FINALLY SETTLED ON THE CONCRETE DRIVEWAY NOSE LOW THEN TEETERING AFT CAUSING THE TAIL TO STRIKE THE GROUND. THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES SHEARED OFF FROM THE TAIL ROTOR SPINDLES ON IMPACT. THE VERTICAL STABILIZER AND LEFT SKID SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FROM THE IMPACT. CFI NOTICED ENGINE WAS AT IDLE AND PERFORMED AN EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN WHILE STUDENT PILOT TURNED OFF THE FUEL SHUT OFF VALVE. NO POST CRASH FIRE AND NO INJURY TO PILOTS. NTSB HIRED A MECHANIC TO INSPECT ENGINE. REPORT MAY BE AMENDED UPON OUTCOME OF NTSB RESULTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.