What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On January 18, 2026, the subject aircraft departed btf with a PIC calculated 83 gallons of fuel and four souls on board (~650LBS) with an intended destination of daniels summit lodge near heber ut. Throughout this flight, the subject aircraft was operating in tandem with another rotorcraft which was not involved in the accident. Video footage taken at btf shows the subject aircraft taking off as designed without evidence of any mechanical concerns. After landing for a short time at daniels summit lodge, the aircraft departed with intent to go over wolf creek pass which resides at ~9,500 feet elevation. Upon arrival, the tandem aircraft landed in a clearing off the highway. The clearing was heavily covered in hard packed snow due to significant snowmobile traffic in the area. The PIC of the subject aircraft intended to land in the same clearing and prior to touch down, performed a power check in which the aircraft performed as designed. Upon touchdown, the PIC noticed the back left skid sank more than the right which caused the PIC to abandon the landing. After raising the collective to take off and achieving ~50-100 feet AGL, the rotorcraft began yawing to the right. Video evidence from witnesses showed a full loss of tail rotor authority during assent as well as into descent. The PIC stated that there was no feedback coming from the pedals. The aircraft began spinning uncontrollably before descending into the trees on the edge of the clearing. A physical inspection of the aircraft flight controls and systems was unable to be accomplished due to the wreckage site. No evidence was found of a tail rotor strike or impact while taking off; however, the area was heavily disrupted before the onsite investigation. An inspection of the aircraft after recovery is pending and this report will be amended based on those results.
As the FAA filed it
ON JANUARY 18, 2026, THE SUBJECT AIRCRAFT DEPARTED BTF WITH A PIC CALCULATED 83 GALLONS OF FUEL AND FOUR SOULS ON BOARD (~650LBS) WITH AN INTENDED DESTINATION OF DANIELS SUMMIT LODGE NEAR HEBER UT. THROUGHOUT THIS FLIGHT, THE SUBJECT AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATING IN TANDEM WITH ANOTHER ROTORCRAFT WHICH WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT. VIDEO FOOTAGE TAKEN AT BTF SHOWS THE SUBJECT AIRCRAFT TAKING OFF AS DESIGNED WITHOUT EVIDENCE OF ANY MECHANICAL CONCERNS. AFTER LANDING FOR A SHORT TIME AT DANIELS SUMMIT LODGE, THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED WITH INTENT TO GO OVER WOLF CREEK PASS WHICH RESIDES AT ~9,500 FEET ELEVATION. UPON ARRIVAL, THE TANDEM AIRCRAFT LANDED IN A CLEARING OFF THE HIGHWAY. THE CLEARING WAS HEAVILY COVERED IN HARD PACKED SNOW DUE TO SIGNIFICANT SNOWMOBILE TRAFFIC IN THE AREA. THE PIC OF THE SUBJECT AIRCRAFT INTENDED TO LAND IN THE SAME CLEARING AND PRIOR TO TOUCH DOWN, PERFORMED A POWER CHECK IN WHICH THE AIRCRAFT PERFORMED AS DESIGNED. UPON TOUCHDOWN, THE PIC NOTICED THE BACK LEFT SKID SANK MORE THAN THE RIGHT WHICH CAUSED THE PIC TO ABANDON THE LANDING. AFTER RAISING THE COLLECTIVE TO TAKE OFF AND ACHIEVING ~50-100 FEET AGL, THE ROTORCRAFT BEGAN YAWING TO THE RIGHT. VIDEO EVIDENCE FROM WITNESSES SHOWED A FULL LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR AUTHORITY DURING ASSENT AS WELL AS INTO DESCENT. THE PIC STATED THAT THERE WAS NO FEEDBACK COMING FROM THE PEDALS. THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN SPINNING UNCONTROLLABLY BEFORE DESCENDING INTO THE TREES ON THE EDGE OF THE CLEARING. A PHYSICAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT FLIGHT CONTROLS AND SYSTEMS WAS UNABLE TO BE ACCOMPLISHED DUE TO THE WRECKAGE SITE. NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND OF A TAIL ROTOR STRIKE OR IMPACT WHILE TAKING OFF; HOWEVER, THE AREA WAS HEAVILY DISRUPTED BEFORE THE ONSITE INVESTIGATION. AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AFTER RECOVERY IS PENDING AND THIS REPORT WILL BE AMENDED BASED ON THOSE RESULTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.