What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 30 2022 around 0642, N160TH helicopter started to lift off helipad dolly once weight was remove from the skids the helicopter started an uncommand right pedal turn at same time pilot reported feeling and hearing popping noise. Pilot lower the collative helicopter came to rest half on and off the helipad dolly 180 degrees from starting position. Pilot then raised helicopter to remove it off the helipad dolly performing a left hand pedal turn once clear of the dolly the pilot abruptly lowered helicopter to the ground. No injuries reported. Substantial damage occurred in this incident. During the aircraft inspection a performed tail rotor flight control continuity check. Portions of the tail rotor flight controls where damaged from the right-rear skid crossover tube being push up toward aft vertical pivot. Push pull rods disconnected at that point, flight control moved freely forward to tail rotor pedals no defects noted forward side of the flight control system. Disconnected aft portion of the tail rotor flight control system from the aft vertical pivot flight controls moved freely to the tail rotor blades. The configuration of the aircraft at the time incident was near max gross weight and appears the not enough control input was introduced to overcome torque of the rotor system which causes the aircraft to spin right.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 30 2022 AROUND 0642, N160TH HELICOPTER STARTED TO LIFT OFF HELIPAD DOLLY ONCE WEIGHT WAS REMOVE FROM THE SKIDS THE HELICOPTER STARTED AN UNCOMMAND RIGHT PEDAL TURN AT SAME TIME PILOT REPORTED FEELING AND HEARING POPPING NOISE. PILOT LOWER THE COLLATIVE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST HALF ON AND OFF THE HELIPAD DOLLY 180 DEGREES FROM STARTING POSITION. PILOT THEN RAISED HELICOPTER TO REMOVE IT OFF THE HELIPAD DOLLY PERFORMING A LEFT HAND PEDAL TURN ONCE CLEAR OF THE DOLLY THE PILOT ABRUPTLY LOWERED HELICOPTER TO THE GROUND. NO INJURIES REPORTED. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE OCCURRED IN THIS INCIDENT. DURING THE AIRCRAFT INSPECTION A PERFORMED TAIL ROTOR FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY CHECK. PORTIONS OF THE TAIL ROTOR FLIGHT CONTROLS WHERE DAMAGED FROM THE RIGHT-REAR SKID CROSSOVER TUBE BEING PUSH UP TOWARD AFT VERTICAL PIVOT. PUSH PULL RODS DISCONNECTED AT THAT POINT, FLIGHT CONTROL MOVED FREELY FORWARD TO TAIL ROTOR PEDALS NO DEFECTS NOTED FORWARD SIDE OF THE FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM. DISCONNECTED AFT PORTION OF THE TAIL ROTOR FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM FROM THE AFT VERTICAL PIVOT FLIGHT CONTROLS MOVED FREELY TO THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES. THE CONFIGURATION OF THE AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME INCIDENT WAS NEAR MAX GROSS WEIGHT AND APPEARS THE NOT ENOUGH CONTROL INPUT WAS INTRODUCED TO OVERCOME TORQUE OF THE ROTOR SYSTEM WHICH CAUSES THE AIRCRAFT TO SPIN RIGHT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.