What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot stated that he had not flown his helicopter in a while and decided he would hover around to practice takeoffs and landings. Pilot said he was circling around the west side of the runway to land and was planning a turn into a headwind and was maybe 40-50 feet AGL with 40 mph indicated. Upon starting a left turn, he realized he was adding collective and nothing was happening and the power was not increasing. He believes he heard a change in engine noise then dropped collective to maintain rotor RPM.the helicopter descended rapidly to about 10-15 ft AGL then pulled collective. The aircraft impacted the ground in a level attitude very hard. Stated he didn’t lose the tailrotor but did feel there was a loss of power.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD NOT FLOWN HIS HELICOPTER IN A WHILE AND DECIDED HE WOULD HOVER AROUND TO PRACTICE TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS. PILOT SAID HE WAS CIRCLING AROUND THE WEST SIDE OF THE RUNWAY TO LAND AND WAS PLANNING A TURN INTO A HEADWIND AND WAS MAYBE 40-50 FEET AGL WITH 40 MPH INDICATED. UPON STARTING A LEFT TURN, HE REALIZED HE WAS ADDING COLLECTIVE AND NOTHING WAS HAPPENING AND THE POWER WAS NOT INCREASING. HE BELIEVES HE HEARD A CHANGE IN ENGINE NOISE THEN DROPPED COLLECTIVE TO MAINTAIN ROTOR RPM.THE HELICOPTER DESCENDED RAPIDLY TO ABOUT 10-15 FT AGL THEN PULLED COLLECTIVE. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE VERY HARD. STATED HE DIDN’T LOSE THE TAILROTOR BUT DID FEEL THERE WAS A LOSS OF POWER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.