What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
A flight instructor and a student were conducting dual flight training on 06/04/2026 at kbtv between the hours of 1500-1630L. Weather was VFR, local altimeter 30.01 and ~80 degrees f. the training flight was thoroughly briefed, and the aircraft was preflighted in accordance with the guimbal cabri G2 manuals. One of the flight maneuvers being practiced that day was autorotation’s. the instructor briefed that autorotation’s would be practiced with the carburetor heat in the manual hot position. The student did two laps in the pattern to warm-up, and the instructor conducted the first autorotation to remind the student of the standard callouts, steady state factors, and common techniques. After that, the student took the controls back and conducted the first practice autorotation; a go-around was decided upon after the instructor rolled the throttle back on because the required steady state factors were not met. Practice autorotation’s continued, and about 4 more were completed with normal student progression and normal rotorcraft response. During the final autorotation, the student entered the maneuver and did the standard callouts, met steady state factors, so the instructor re-engaged the throttle and noted that the governor had caught up to the rotor RPM. The instructor was shadowing the controls, and during the student's deceleration, the rotor RPM increased initially and then started to decay rapidly. The student began leveling the helicopter, and the instructor took the controls and began to cushion the descent by increasing the collective. Both noticed a lack of normal engine noise expected when increasing the collective. After contacting the runway and coming to a stop, the instructor rolled the throttle to idle. The primary display blanked out and rebooted itself after a minute or so. The instructor contacted the tower to report an issue, and they would be holding on the runway. The tower sent an operations truck to inspect the runway and the aircraft. The instructor reported to the tower that the tail stinger appeared bent, but no other damage was initially visible. The aircraft was hovered back to the hangar on the valley west ramp, and during postflight inspection, it was noted that one of the main rotor blades appeared damaged and had contacted the tail boom. The information was reported to the tower and to the flight operations director. Maintenance personnel determined the main rotor would need to be replaced. The instructor contacted the NTSB reporting office in accordance with 830.5.
As the FAA filed it
A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND A STUDENT WERE CONDUCTING DUAL FLIGHT TRAINING ON 06/04/2026 AT KBTV BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 1500-1630L. WEATHER WAS VFR, LOCAL ALTIMETER 30.01 AND ~80 DEGREES F. THE TRAINING FLIGHT WAS THOROUGHLY BRIEFED, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS PREFLIGHTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GUIMBAL CABRI G2 MANUALS. ONE OF THE FLIGHT MANEUVERS BEING PRACTICED THAT DAY WAS AUTOROTATION’S. THE INSTRUCTOR BRIEFED THAT AUTOROTATION’S WOULD BE PRACTICED WITH THE CARBURETOR HEAT IN THE MANUAL HOT POSITION. THE STUDENT DID TWO LAPS IN THE PATTERN TO WARM-UP, AND THE INSTRUCTOR CONDUCTED THE FIRST AUTOROTATION TO REMIND THE STUDENT OF THE STANDARD CALLOUTS, STEADY STATE FACTORS, AND COMMON TECHNIQUES. AFTER THAT, THE STUDENT TOOK THE CONTROLS BACK AND CONDUCTED THE FIRST PRACTICE AUTOROTATION; A GO-AROUND WAS DECIDED UPON AFTER THE INSTRUCTOR ROLLED THE THROTTLE BACK ON BECAUSE THE REQUIRED STEADY STATE FACTORS WERE NOT MET. PRACTICE AUTOROTATION’S CONTINUED, AND ABOUT 4 MORE WERE COMPLETED WITH NORMAL STUDENT PROGRESSION AND NORMAL ROTORCRAFT RESPONSE. DURING THE FINAL AUTOROTATION, THE STUDENT ENTERED THE MANEUVER AND DID THE STANDARD CALLOUTS, MET STEADY STATE FACTORS, SO THE INSTRUCTOR RE-ENGAGED THE THROTTLE AND NOTED THAT THE GOVERNOR HAD CAUGHT UP TO THE ROTOR RPM. THE INSTRUCTOR WAS SHADOWING THE CONTROLS, AND DURING THE STUDENT'S DECELERATION, THE ROTOR RPM INCREASED INITIALLY AND THEN STARTED TO DECAY RAPIDLY. THE STUDENT BEGAN LEVELING THE HELICOPTER, AND THE INSTRUCTOR TOOK THE CONTROLS AND BEGAN TO CUSHION THE DESCENT BY INCREASING THE COLLECTIVE. BOTH NOTICED A LACK OF NORMAL ENGINE NOISE EXPECTED WHEN INCREASING THE COLLECTIVE. AFTER CONTACTING THE RUNWAY AND COMING TO A STOP, THE INSTRUCTOR ROLLED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE. THE PRIMARY DISPLAY BLANKED OUT AND REBOOTED ITSELF AFTER A MINUTE OR SO. THE INSTRUCTOR CONTACTED THE TOWER TO REPORT AN ISSUE, AND THEY WOULD BE HOLDING ON THE RUNWAY. THE TOWER SENT AN OPERATIONS TRUCK TO INSPECT THE RUNWAY AND THE AIRCRAFT. THE INSTRUCTOR REPORTED TO THE TOWER THAT THE TAIL STINGER APPEARED BENT, BUT NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS INITIALLY VISIBLE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS HOVERED BACK TO THE HANGAR ON THE VALLEY WEST RAMP, AND DURING POSTFLIGHT INSPECTION, IT WAS NOTED THAT ONE OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES APPEARED DAMAGED AND HAD CONTACTED THE TAIL BOOM. THE INFORMATION WAS REPORTED TO THE TOWER AND TO THE FLIGHT OPERATIONS DIRECTOR. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL DETERMINED THE MAIN ROTOR WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE INSTRUCTOR CONTACTED THE NTSB REPORTING OFFICE IN ACCORDANCE WITH 830.5.