What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 17th, 2025 at 1335 hours, helicopter was flying in the traffic patern at mid field on right downwind for runway 29. The helicopter in level flight yawed and then rapidly descended toward the ground. Prior to ground impact a flare was initiated. A hard landing ocurred with tailboom stinger and tailrotor blades hitting the ground first followed on by the helicopter hitting the ground extremely hard in a downward and forward direction. The landing skids were bent at inital contact with ground. The fuselage then departed the landing skids and becoming airborne for approximately 30 feet beyond the landing skids. Fuselage came to rest on it's right side. The tailboom and aicraft parts flew off the aircraft and landed beyond the aircraft with drive shaft at approximately 400 feet beyond the fuselage. Fuel was observed to drip from a small crack on the right side next to the lower mounting strap. About 80 ml of fuel was then drained from the right sump. The left sump was empty, and no fuel could be seen inside the tank via the filler neck on the left side.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 17TH, 2025 AT 1335 HOURS, HELICOPTER WAS FLYING IN THE TRAFFIC PATERN AT MID FIELD ON RIGHT DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 29. THE HELICOPTER IN LEVEL FLIGHT YAWED AND THEN RAPIDLY DESCENDED TOWARD THE GROUND. PRIOR TO GROUND IMPACT A FLARE WAS INITIATED. A HARD LANDING OCURRED WITH TAILBOOM STINGER AND TAILROTOR BLADES HITTING THE GROUND FIRST FOLLOWED ON BY THE HELICOPTER HITTING THE GROUND EXTREMELY HARD IN A DOWNWARD AND FORWARD DIRECTION. THE LANDING SKIDS WERE BENT AT INITAL CONTACT WITH GROUND. THE FUSELAGE THEN DEPARTED THE LANDING SKIDS AND BECOMING AIRBORNE FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET BEYOND THE LANDING SKIDS. FUSELAGE CAME TO REST ON IT'S RIGHT SIDE. THE TAILBOOM AND AICRAFT PARTS FLEW OFF THE AIRCRAFT AND LANDED BEYOND THE AIRCRAFT WITH DRIVE SHAFT AT APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET BEYOND THE FUSELAGE. FUEL WAS OBSERVED TO DRIP FROM A SMALL CRACK ON THE RIGHT SIDE NEXT TO THE LOWER MOUNTING STRAP. ABOUT 80 ML OF FUEL WAS THEN DRAINED FROM THE RIGHT SUMP. THE LEFT SUMP WAS EMPTY, AND NO FUEL COULD BE SEEN INSIDE THE TANK VIA THE FILLER NECK ON THE LEFT SIDE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.