Incident Description
According to the official investigation source, the pilot initiated an autorotation at an altitude of 1000 feet MSL while the helicopter was traveling at a speed of 100 miles per hour. The pilot reported that at 75 feet AGL, he began to decelerate the aircraft, and the helicopter was leveled at 8 feet AGL. The pilot used cushioning pitch to hold the aircraft off the ground, aiming for a touchdown with zero ground run.
Sequence of Events
During the touchdown, the heels of the skids made contact with the terrain. This contact caused the nose of the helicopter to pitch upward. As a result, the main rotor blades flexed, and the flexing motion led to the severing of the tail rotor drive shaft.
Outcome
The incident resulted in damage to the tail rotor drive shaft. No other details regarding injuries, aircraft type, registration, or location are provided in the source.