What happened
On December 6, 2017, a Eurocopter AS 350, registration N790AM, was performing an off-airport landing near Santa Rosa, Arizona. During the maneuver, the pilot executed a landing that was harder than intended. Following the impact, the pilot was able to fly the aircraft back to the airport without any further incidents.
There were no injuries resulting from this event. Weather conditions at the time were reported as VMC with a visibility of 10 statute miles and winds from 120 degrees at 7 knots.
The investigation
A post-accident examination of the aircraft was conducted, which revealed that the helicopter had sustained substantial damage to the tail boom. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions present prior to the accident that would have prevented normal operation.