What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot stated they started the helicopter and thought they felt something then lowered the collective, performe a magneto check and checked gauges, felt for vibration and listened for malfunction and everything seemed to be in order. The pilot states then they began to raise the collective and instantly an extremely violent left and right rocking motion began. They then considered lifting into the air in case it was ground resonance but the motioin was instantanious and extremely violent. The rotor struck the tail boom and removed it from the aircraft. The transmission and rotor mast broke off of the aircraft and were laying on the ground behind the aircraft. The video tape of the event shows typical ground resonance and damage.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT STATED THEY STARTED THE HELICOPTER AND THOUGHT THEY FELT SOMETHING THEN LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE, PERFORME A MAGNETO CHECK AND CHECKED GAUGES, FELT FOR VIBRATION AND LISTENED FOR MALFUNCTION AND EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE IN ORDER. THE PILOT STATES THEN THEY BEGAN TO RAISE THE COLLECTIVE AND INSTANTLY AN EXTREMELY VIOLENT LEFT AND RIGHT ROCKING MOTION BEGAN. THEY THEN CONSIDERED LIFTING INTO THE AIR IN CASE IT WAS GROUND RESONANCE BUT THE MOTIOIN WAS INSTANTANIOUS AND EXTREMELY VIOLENT. THE ROTOR STRUCK THE TAIL BOOM AND REMOVED IT FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE TRANSMISSION AND ROTOR MAST BROKE OFF OF THE AIRCRAFT AND WERE LAYING ON THE GROUND BEHIND THE AIRCRAFT. THE VIDEO TAPE OF THE EVENT SHOWS TYPICAL GROUND RESONANCE AND DAMAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.