What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 27, 2025, at approximately 1915 central daylight time, a Bell 505 had a hard landing from an autorotation training event near Bell south field heliport (XS04). The aircraft was flying from north to south and started to perform an autorotation procedure. At approximately 40-50 feet the pilot noticed the rate of decent accelerated and put in more collective. They noticed that the wind effect disappeared, and the rate increased. At approximately 20 feet the pilot input full collective and flared the aircraft. The aircraft impacted the ground hard enough to split the skids outward and skid the aircraft forward approximately 20 feet forward as indicated by impact marks on the ground. The pilot and trainee were uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the incident.
Kgpm 271915Z auto 19004KT 10SM SCT046 32/20 A3012 rmk AO2
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 27, 2025, AT APPROXIMATELY 1915 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL 505 HAD A HARD LANDING FROM AN AUTOROTATION TRAINING EVENT NEAR BELL SOUTH FIELD HELIPORT (XS04). THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING FROM NORTH TO SOUTH AND STARTED TO PERFORM AN AUTOROTATION PROCEDURE. AT APPROXIMATELY 40-50 FEET THE PILOT NOTICED THE RATE OF DECENT ACCELERATED AND PUT IN MORE COLLECTIVE. THEY NOTICED THAT THE WIND EFFECT DISAPPEARED, AND THE RATE INCREASED. AT APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET THE PILOT INPUT FULL COLLECTIVE AND FLARED THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND HARD ENOUGH TO SPLIT THE SKIDS OUTWARD AND SKID THE AIRCRAFT FORWARD APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET FORWARD AS INDICATED BY IMPACT MARKS ON THE GROUND. THE PILOT AND TRAINEE WERE UNINJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.
KGPM 271915Z AUTO 19004KT 10SM SCT046 32/20 A3012 RMK AO2
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.