Incident Overview
A student pilot was performing a practice power-off autorotation in a helicopter under the supervision of an instructor. During the go-around phase from the simulated landing flare, the student applied an excessive amount of aft cyclic control input. The instructor, who was simultaneously applying a small amount of up collective to arrest a slight descent rate, did not take sufficient corrective action to prevent the student's excessive aft cyclic application.
Sequence of Events
The excessive aft cyclic caused the helicopter's tail rotor to strike the ground. Immediately after the impact, the helicopter experienced a loss of tail rotor effectiveness. Soon thereafter, the helicopter began to spin uncontrollably. The instructor pilot then assumed total control of the aircraft and executed an emergency landing.
Post-Landing Findings
After the engine was shut down, an inspection revealed damage to both the tail rotor and the tail boom. No other issues were reported. The instructor's failure to take adequate remedial action was identified as a contributing factor in the incident.