What happened
The incident occurred during a low-altitude operation where the pilot was attempting to turn a group of horses. While executing this maneuver, the pilot applied excessive aft cyclic control input. This action caused the tail rotor to strike a large sage bush located near the ground.
Upon impact, the helicopter lost directional control and began turning to the right. Recognizing the loss of control, the pilot attempted to execute a hovering autorotation from an altitude of approximately 15 feet. The attempt resulted in a hard landing. During the impact, the main rotor blades struck the airframe and severed the tail boom. Additionally, the right skid collapsed under the stress of the landing.
The investigation
The physical examination of the wreckage revealed significant structural failures consistent with the described sequence of events. The primary damage involved the separation of the tail boom due to impact with the main rotor blades. The right landing skid was also found to be collapsed, indicating substantial force during the final touchdown.