What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot started aircraft at orl about 1540 on 06/05/2023 with a maintenance person in the left seat as an observer. Pilot departed the hangar area and notified ATC he planned to practice emergency procedures/maneuvers in the souteast practice area (sepa) at orl. Once in the sepa, the pilot planned to de a straight autorotation with power recovery over the grass area. The pilot stated at about 50FT he started a gentle flare while simultaneously fully rolling the throttle all the way. He continued to hold the flare to stop the rate of decent and fwd momentum. The needles (main rotor and RPM) were aligned at the bottom RPM range. The pilot began to level the aircraft at 15-20 ft AGL, then began to raise the collective to a hover. The acft struggled to maintain lift and the RPM was being dragged down. The acft sank to the ground in a hard landing. Pilot notified ATC of the event and that he was shutting the aircraft down in the sepa. The aircraft was trailered to the maintenance hangar with substantial damage to the tailboom area and crosstube rocker arm connection. No injuries to the pilot or maintenance observer. FAA investigated and took pictures at the hangar location.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT STARTED AIRCRAFT AT ORL ABOUT 1540 ON 06/05/2023 WITH A MAINTENANCE PERSON IN THE LEFT SEAT AS AN OBSERVER. PILOT DEPARTED THE HANGAR AREA AND NOTIFIED ATC HE PLANNED TO PRACTICE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES/MANEUVERS IN THE SOUTEAST PRACTICE AREA (SEPA) AT ORL. ONCE IN THE SEPA, THE PILOT PLANNED TO DE A STRAIGHT AUTOROTATION WITH POWER RECOVERY OVER THE GRASS AREA. THE PILOT STATED AT ABOUT 50FT HE STARTED A GENTLE FLARE WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY FULLY ROLLING THE THROTTLE ALL THE WAY. HE CONTINUED TO HOLD THE FLARE TO STOP THE RATE OF DECENT AND FWD MOMENTUM. THE NEEDLES (MAIN ROTOR AND RPM) WERE ALIGNED AT THE BOTTOM RPM RANGE. THE PILOT BEGAN TO LEVEL THE AIRCRAFT AT 15-20 FT AGL, THEN BEGAN TO RAISE THE COLLECTIVE TO A HOVER. THE ACFT STRUGGLED TO MAINTAIN LIFT AND THE RPM WAS BEING DRAGGED DOWN. THE ACFT SANK TO THE GROUND IN A HARD LANDING. PILOT NOTIFIED ATC OF THE EVENT AND THAT HE WAS SHUTTING THE AIRCRAFT DOWN IN THE SEPA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRAILERED TO THE MAINTENANCE HANGAR WITH SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE TAILBOOM AREA AND CROSSTUBE ROCKER ARM CONNECTION. NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT OR MAINTENANCE OBSERVER. FAA INVESTIGATED AND TOOK PICTURES AT THE HANGAR LOCATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.