Helicopter at 50' AGL on takeoff has loss of tail rotor control. Hard landing.

Attributes
ACN	179437
Time
Date	199105
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : h75
State Reference	MS
Altitude	agl bound lower : 50 agl bound upper : 50
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 14700 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	179437
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : observer
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Observer and I investigated recent murder/rape site. Also purpose of warming up oil for change. Landed at crop duster strip to regroup. Took off for hangar. At about 50' AGL lost tail rotor control. Aircraft immediately began turning right, split needles, and came straight down. Touched down with some twisting movement. Collapsed right skid. Did manage to prevent main blades from striking ground. Exhaust started grass on fire. Extinguished quickly. Luckily ground was very soft and muddy. Surprisingly little damage to aircraft. Most damage occurred when removing aircraft from field. Later investigation revealed bolt broken from tail rotor control rod. Fortunately no injuries to either occupant.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELICOPTER AT 50' AGL ON TKOF HAS LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR CTL. HARD LNDG.

Narrative: OBSERVER AND I INVESTIGATED RECENT MURDER/RAPE SITE. ALSO PURPOSE OF WARMING UP OIL FOR CHANGE. LANDED AT CROP DUSTER STRIP TO REGROUP. TOOK OFF FOR HANGAR. AT ABOUT 50' AGL LOST TAIL ROTOR CTL. ACFT IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TURNING RIGHT, SPLIT NEEDLES, AND CAME STRAIGHT DOWN. TOUCHED DOWN WITH SOME TWISTING MOVEMENT. COLLAPSED RIGHT SKID. DID MANAGE TO PREVENT MAIN BLADES FROM STRIKING GND. EXHAUST STARTED GRASS ON FIRE. EXTINGUISHED QUICKLY. LUCKILY GND WAS VERY SOFT AND MUDDY. SURPRISINGLY LITTLE DAMAGE TO ACFT. MOST DAMAGE OCCURRED WHEN REMOVING ACFT FROM FIELD. LATER INVESTIGATION REVEALED BOLT BROKEN FROM TAIL ROTOR CTL ROD. FORTUNATELY NO INJURIES TO EITHER OCCUPANT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.