What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 08/18/2025, the airman listed was operating a helicopter (privacy data omitted) at Deland municipal airport (ded). The pilot mismanaged the collective controls during flare and landing sequence and induced a collective bounce. The collective bounce created an excessive verical occilation and vibration. The mismanagement of the collective controls during the landing squence led to a hard landing in which the tail rotor struck the pavement of the taxiway and grass median. A external video shows the aircraft striking the skids first, and the tail boom anti-bump secondary. The aircraft rocked forward and aft upon landing which caused the tail rotor to strike the taxiway pavement and ground.
Additional video evidence indicates the pilot at the controls (PIC) was the sole occupant of the aircraft at the time of the incident.
As the FAA filed it
ON 08/18/2025, THE AIRMAN LISTED WAS OPERATING A HELICOPTER (^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^) AT DELAND MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (DED). THE PILOT MISMANAGED THE COLLECTIVE CONTROLS DURING FLARE AND LANDING SEQUENCE AND INDUCED A COLLECTIVE BOUNCE. THE COLLECTIVE BOUNCE CREATED AN EXCESSIVE VERICAL OCCILATION AND VIBRATION. THE MISMANAGEMENT OF THE COLLECTIVE CONTROLS DURING THE LANDING SQUENCE LED TO A HARD LANDING IN WHICH THE TAIL ROTOR STRUCK THE PAVEMENT OF THE TAXIWAY AND GRASS MEDIAN. A EXTERNAL VIDEO SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT STRIKING THE SKIDS FIRST, AND THE TAIL BOOM ANTI-BUMP SECONDARY. THE AIRCRAFT ROCKED FORWARD AND AFT UPON LANDING WHICH CAUSED THE TAIL ROTOR TO STRIKE THE TAXIWAY PAVEMENT AND GROUND.
ADDITIONAL VIDEO EVIDENCE INDICATES THE PILOT AT THE CONTROLS (PIC) WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.
Other reports on N849DB · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.