What happened
On February 22, 2025, at approximately 16:20, a Hughes OH-6A, registration N4191T, was involved in an accident near Santa Teresa, New Mexico. The flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 as a refresher training session for a pilot undergoing instruction.
After approximately 30 minutes of practice maneuvers, the flight instructor took control of the aircraft to perform a hover taxi from the end of runway 28 toward a helicopter pad located about 500 feet to the southwest. During the taxi, midway through the maneuver, the crew felt a shudder within the airframe, which was immediately followed by a right yaw.
In response to the movement, the flight instructor moved the throttle to idle and lowered the collective. The yaw transitioned into a spin, causing the helicopter to strike the ground on the incline of a gravel pit. The aircraft came to rest upright facing southwest. The impact resulted in the tailboom being severed just aft of the engine, with the tailrotor assembly, vertical stabilizer, and horizontal stabilizer located approximately 100 feet behind the main fuselage.
There were no injuries to the flight instructor or the pilot undergoing instruction.