What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 17, 2019 a properly credeintal pilot flying two passenger for an air tour company departed Key West International Airport. The aircraft departed taxiway 5A east bound and accelerated the helicopter to approximately 70 KIAS.
Approximately 46 seconds into the flight a high frequency vibration occurs and the pilot had cross the shoreline and advises the tower he needs to return to eyw.
The vibration last for approximatley 39 seconds and a bang and tearing can be heard from the rear of the aircraft by all occupants and a right yaw occurs.
The pilot enters into an autorotation from approximately 80 KIAS at an altitude of approximately 300 feet above the ground and decided to go for a water landing.
At apprxoimately 150 feet above the water the pilot pops out the floats which helps stabilizes the helicopter and the pilot attempts to flair the aircraft but the center of gravity shift is significant to the point that the aircraft made contact with the water with an approximate angle of 27 degrees nose down attitude.
The tail rotor, trail rotor gear box, and empennage seperated from the aircraft.
The tail rotor and tail rotor gear box was recoved, missing several bolts. Both tail rotor blade tip caps and balance weight(s) were missing.
The empennage was recovered including the area where the empennage seperated from the tail boom at the thomas coupling that connects the tail rotor gear box to the tail boom.
The tail rotor gear box seperated from the empennage, the tail rotor gear box was free trurning and the thomas coupling on the drive shaft in the tail boom would not turn by hand.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 17, 2019 A PROPERLY CREDEINTAL PILOT FLYING TWO PASSENGER FOR AN AIR TOUR COMPANY DEPARTED KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED TAXIWAY 5A EAST BOUND AND ACCELERATED THE HELICOPTER TO APPROXIMATELY 70 KIAS.
APPROXIMATELY 46 SECONDS INTO THE FLIGHT A HIGH FREQUENCY VIBRATION OCCURS AND THE PILOT HAD CROSS THE SHORELINE AND ADVISES THE TOWER HE NEEDS TO RETURN TO EYW.
THE VIBRATION LAST FOR APPROXIMATLEY 39 SECONDS AND A BANG AND TEARING CAN BE HEARD FROM THE REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT BY ALL OCCUPANTS AND A RIGHT YAW OCCURS.
THE PILOT ENTERS INTO AN AUTOROTATION FROM APPROXIMATELY 80 KIAS AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AND DECIDED TO GO FOR A WATER LANDING.
AT APPRXOIMATELY 150 FEET ABOVE THE WATER THE PILOT POPS OUT THE FLOATS WHICH HELPS STABILIZES THE HELICOPTER AND THE PILOT ATTEMPTS TO FLAIR THE AIRCRAFT BUT THE CENTER OF GRAVITY SHIFT IS SIGNIFICANT TO THE POINT THAT THE AIRCRAFT MADE CONTACT WITH THE WATER WITH AN APPROXIMATE ANGLE OF 27 DEGREES NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE.
THE TAIL ROTOR, TRAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX, AND EMPENNAGE SEPERATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT.
THE TAIL ROTOR AND TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX WAS RECOVED, MISSING SEVERAL BOLTS. BOTH TAIL ROTOR BLADE TIP CAPS AND BALANCE WEIGHT(S) WERE MISSING.
THE EMPENNAGE WAS RECOVERED INCLUDING THE AREA WHERE THE EMPENNAGE SEPERATED FROM THE TAIL BOOM AT THE THOMAS COUPLING THAT CONNECTS THE TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX TO THE TAIL BOOM.
THE TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX SEPERATED FROM THE EMPENNAGE, THE TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX WAS FREE TRURNING AND THE THOMAS COUPLING ON THE DRIVE SHAFT IN THE TAIL BOOM WOULD NOT TURN BY HAND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.