What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot reported that while flying in a southwesterly direction a gust of wind caused the nose of the aircraft to yaw to the right, which the pilot attempted to correct for as the aircraft neared the ground the pilot flared the helicopter the best he could. The tail struck the ground prior to the aircraft being level. The tail strike was followed by the main skids contacting the desert floor very hard. The helicopter came to rest on it right side. The pilot and the passenger exit the helicopter, there was no fire. The pilot and passenger were transported to the hospital by personal vehicle.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE FLYING IN A SOUTHWESTERLY DIRECTION A GUST OF WIND CAUSED THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT TO YAW TO THE RIGHT, WHICH THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT FOR AS THE AIRCRAFT NEARED THE GROUND THE PILOT FLARED THE HELICOPTER THE BEST HE COULD. THE TAIL STRUCK THE GROUND PRIOR TO THE AIRCRAFT BEING LEVEL. THE TAIL STRIKE WAS FOLLOWED BY THE MAIN SKIDS CONTACTING THE DESERT FLOOR VERY HARD. THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST ON IT RIGHT SIDE. THE PILOT AND THE PASSENGER EXIT THE HELICOPTER, THERE WAS NO FIRE. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL BY PERSONAL VEHICLE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.