What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircraft doing hover practice in the delta landing zone area at gfk airport. Video evidence shows the aircraft in a stable hover then the aircraft is seen moving aft with the tail descending, it comes up and then descends again, appears to strike the ground. The aircraft ascends about 5 feet drifting aft followed by rapid descent sticking the ground and then the aircraft rolls to the right. Additional video from certificate holder’s hanger clearly showed the tail strike just prior to the aircraft hitting the gnd and rolling to the right.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRAFT DOING HOVER PRACTICE IN THE DELTA LANDING ZONE AREA AT GFK AIRPORT. VIDEO EVIDENCE SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT IN A STABLE HOVER THEN THE AIRCRAFT IS SEEN MOVING AFT WITH THE TAIL DESCENDING, IT COMES UP AND THEN DESCENDS AGAIN, APPEARS TO STRIKE THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT ASCENDS ABOUT 5 FEET DRIFTING AFT FOLLOWED BY RAPID DESCENT STICKING THE GROUND AND THEN THE AIRCRAFT ROLLS TO THE RIGHT. ADDITIONAL VIDEO FROM CERTIFICATE HOLDER’S HANGER CLEARLY SHOWED THE TAIL STRIKE JUST PRIOR TO THE AIRCRAFT HITTING THE GND AND ROLLING TO THE 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.