What happened
The incident occurred during a sales demonstration flight involving a helicopter. As the pilot transitioned from a hover to a landing phase, the aircraft touched down with a bounce of approximately one to two inches. In response to this bounce, the pilot mistakenly applied right cyclic control input.
This incorrect input caused the main rotor blades to strike the ground. The impact severed the tail boom and caused the rotorcraft to yaw 180 degrees. The landing skids were also damaged during the event.
The investigation
The investigation relied on the pilot's statement regarding the sequence of events. The pilot confirmed that the bounce occurred upon touchdown and that he applied right cyclic control immediately after. This action resulted in the main rotor striking the ground, which led to the structural failure of the tail boom and the subsequent yawing motion.
Findings
The primary factor in this accident was the pilot's erroneous control input following a bounced landing. The application of right cyclic when it was not required caused the main rotor to contact the ground. This contact resulted in severe damage to the tail boom and the landing gear system.