What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
During flight training in preparation for a commercial checkride the instructor and student were practicing autorotations to a powered recovery. The student initiated the autorotation at 1000 feet AGL with the instructor reducing power to 70 percent. At 300 feet AGL the instructor reintroduced power. The student initiated the flare at 100 feet AGL and expected to recover at 25 feet AGL. The rotor speed continued to drop and the instructor took the controls. The aircraft impacted the runway and bounced once causing severe damage to the tail boom where it attaches to the fuselage and the flir camera mounted on the belly.
As the FAA filed it
DURING FLIGHT TRAINING IN PREPARATION FOR A COMMERCIAL CHECKRIDE THE INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT WERE PRACTICING AUTOROTATIONS TO A POWERED RECOVERY. THE STUDENT INITIATED THE AUTOROTATION AT 1000 FEET AGL WITH THE INSTRUCTOR REDUCING POWER TO 70 PERCENT. AT 300 FEET AGL THE INSTRUCTOR REINTRODUCED POWER. THE STUDENT INITIATED THE FLARE AT 100 FEET AGL AND EXPECTED TO RECOVER AT 25 FEET AGL. THE ROTOR SPEED CONTINUED TO DROP AND THE INSTRUCTOR TOOK THE CONTROLS. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE RUNWAY AND BOUNCED ONCE CAUSING SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE TAIL BOOM WHERE IT ATTACHES TO THE FUSELAGE AND THE FLIR CAMERA MOUNTED ON THE BELLY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.