What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 5/2/2019 at approximately 1538 EDT, the helicopter was on an introduction flight for a new prospective student. After the short flight the helicopter made an approach to landing over the grass on the west side of runway 1/19 and turned to the right to make a 180 degree turn to return to parking area. The pilot stated the low rotor light and horn activated and the helicopter started to spin and came to rest on the right side of aircraft in the grass on west side of runway. The empennage/tail rotor hub was detached and resting approximately fifteen feet away from the fuselage. The tail rotor blades were detached and located within approximately ten feet of the wreckage.
When questioned, the pilot and passenger stated that the aircraft was 10 to 15 feet above the ground, however, review of airport video shows that the helicopter was actually 2.5 to 3 feet above the ground. During the turn to the right, it did not appear that the aircraft hovered but that the front of the helicopter pitched up to bleed off airspeed. The next second of the video shows the helicopter on its side. There are two strike marks on the ground and dirt on the detached blades that indicate that the tail rotor struck the ground. All other indications are that the helicopter was operating normally prior to the tail strike.
As the FAA filed it
ON 5/2/2019 AT APPROXIMATELY 1538 EDT, THE HELICOPTER WAS ON AN INTRODUCTION FLIGHT FOR A NEW PROSPECTIVE STUDENT. AFTER THE SHORT FLIGHT THE HELICOPTER MADE AN APPROACH TO LANDING OVER THE GRASS ON THE WEST SIDE OF RUNWAY 1/19 AND TURNED TO THE RIGHT TO MAKE A 180 DEGREE TURN TO RETURN TO PARKING AREA. THE PILOT STATED THE LOW ROTOR LIGHT AND HORN ACTIVATED AND THE HELICOPTER STARTED TO SPIN AND CAME TO REST ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF AIRCRAFT IN THE GRASS ON WEST SIDE OF RUNWAY. THE EMPENNAGE/TAIL ROTOR HUB WAS DETACHED AND RESTING APPROXIMATELY FIFTEEN FEET AWAY FROM THE FUSELAGE. THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES WERE DETACHED AND LOCATED WITHIN APPROXIMATELY TEN FEET OF THE WRECKAGE.
WHEN QUESTIONED, THE PILOT AND PASSENGER STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS 10 TO 15 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, HOWEVER, REVIEW OF AIRPORT VIDEO SHOWS THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS ACTUALLY 2.5 TO 3 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. DURING THE TURN TO THE RIGHT, IT DID NOT APPEAR THAT THE AIRCRAFT HOVERED BUT THAT THE FRONT OF THE HELICOPTER PITCHED UP TO BLEED OFF AIRSPEED. THE NEXT SECOND OF THE VIDEO SHOWS THE HELICOPTER ON ITS SIDE. THERE ARE TWO STRIKE MARKS ON THE GROUND AND DIRT ON THE DETACHED BLADES THAT INDICATE THAT THE TAIL ROTOR STRUCK THE GROUND. ALL OTHER INDICATIONS ARE THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS OPERATING NORMALLY PRIOR TO THE TAIL STRIKE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.