What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Tuesday, July 09, 2024- iic on duty was notified by the roc of an aircraft accident. Received an FAA form 8020-9 describing in b(5), “due to hard landing acft rolled over causing tail T0 sever.”
Wednesday, July 10, 2024- called the FBO contact who advised that the aircraft had arrived and was secured in a fenced area preserved and isolated. Due to the nature of the accident as a potentially operational issue, the iic requested that an operations inspector be assigned to assist in questioning the pilots.
Thursday July 11, 2024- the iic (avionics inspector), a mechanic inspector, and an operations inspector travelled to the Mesa location to evaluate the aircraft damage and to interview the pilots involved.
Pilots explained that during a practice simulated autorotation, the foreign student mismanaged the controls causing the helicopter to touch-down with forward momentum. Skid marks in the sand evidenced this, and the tips of the skids caught causing the helicopter to pitch forward. The rotor struck the ground, the tail detached, and the cockpit rolled to the right. The two pilots were unhurt but the helicopter suffered substantial damage.
As the FAA filed it
TUESDAY, JULY 09, 2024- IIC ON DUTY WAS NOTIFIED BY THE ROC OF AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT. RECEIVED AN FAA FORM 8020-9 DESCRIBING IN B(5), “DUE TO HARD LANDING ACFT ROLLED OVER CAUSING TAIL T0 SEVER.”
WEDNESDAY, JULY 10, 2024- CALLED THE FBO CONTACT WHO ADVISED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD ARRIVED AND WAS SECURED IN A FENCED AREA PRESERVED AND ISOLATED. DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE ACCIDENT AS A POTENTIALLY OPERATIONAL ISSUE, THE IIC REQUESTED THAT AN OPERATIONS INSPECTOR BE ASSIGNED TO ASSIST IN QUESTIONING THE PILOTS.
THURSDAY JULY 11, 2024- THE IIC (AVIONICS INSPECTOR), A MECHANIC INSPECTOR, AND AN OPERATIONS INSPECTOR TRAVELLED TO THE MESA LOCATION TO EVALUATE THE AIRCRAFT DAMAGE AND TO INTERVIEW THE PILOTS INVOLVED.
PILOTS EXPLAINED THAT DURING A PRACTICE SIMULATED AUTOROTATION, THE FOREIGN STUDENT MISMANAGED THE CONTROLS CAUSING THE HELICOPTER TO TOUCH-DOWN WITH FORWARD MOMENTUM. SKID MARKS IN THE SAND EVIDENCED THIS, AND THE TIPS OF THE SKIDS CAUGHT CAUSING THE HELICOPTER TO PITCH FORWARD. THE ROTOR STRUCK THE GROUND, THE TAIL DETACHED, AND THE COCKPIT ROLLED TO THE RIGHT. THE TWO PILOTS WERE UNHURT BUT THE HELICOPTER SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL 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.