What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On the afternoon of April 22, 2020, this flight instructor and a student pilot were on a dual instructional flight in a robertson R-22 helicopter, N6703S. After verifying proficiency in some basic flight maneuvers the focus of the lesson turned to autorotations. After two successful autorotations at an off-airport practice area the flight returned to the base airport (keul) to terminate with the final maneuver being a maximum glide configuration autorotation. During the landing from this autorotation the rate of descent was not arrested sufficiently resulting in a hard landing and bounce. Post-flight inspection of the helicopter revealed that the landing gear cross tubes were bent and that one main rotor blade had struck the top of the tail cone.
As the FAA filed it
ON THE AFTERNOON OF APRIL 22, 2020, THIS FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND A STUDENT PILOT WERE ON A DUAL INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT IN A ROBERTSON R-22 HELICOPTER, N6703S. AFTER VERIFYING PROFICIENCY IN SOME BASIC FLIGHT MANEUVERS THE FOCUS OF THE LESSON TURNED TO AUTOROTATIONS. AFTER TWO SUCCESSFUL AUTOROTATIONS AT AN OFF-AIRPORT PRACTICE AREA THE FLIGHT RETURNED TO THE BASE AIRPORT (KEUL) TO TERMINATE WITH THE FINAL MANEUVER BEING A MAXIMUM GLIDE CONFIGURATION AUTOROTATION. DURING THE LANDING FROM THIS AUTOROTATION THE RATE OF DESCENT WAS NOT ARRESTED SUFFICIENTLY RESULTING IN A HARD LANDING AND BOUNCE. POST-FLIGHT INSPECTION OF THE HELICOPTER REVEALED THAT THE LANDING GEAR CROSS TUBES WERE BENT AND THAT ONE MAIN ROTOR BLADE HAD STRUCK THE TOP OF THE TAIL CONE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.