What happened
The helicopter pilot initiated an autorotation sequence after realizing the aircraft was experiencing fuel exhaustion. Although the pilot was aware that fuel levels were critically low, he relied on the cockpit warning light to confirm the status. The warning light failed to illuminate during the approach.
During the landing phase, the tail rotor struck the ground upon touchdown. This impact caused severe damage to the airframe, specifically severing the tail boom just aft of the horizontal stabilizer.
The investigation
Examination of the event revealed that the pilot knew he was low on fuel but depended on his warning light to indicate low fuel. The warning light never came on.
Findings
The primary factors contributing to this incident were fuel exhaustion and a malfunctioning or inoperative fuel warning light. The pilot's reliance on the visual indicator, which failed to activate, led to an uncontrolled landing. Upon touchdown, the tail rotor struck the ground causing the main rotor to severe the tail boom just aft of the horizontal stabilizer.