An enstrom helicopter struck the tail rotor during a demonstration of the autorotation maneuver.

Attributes
ACN	434555
Time
Date	199904
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cid.airport
State Reference	IA
Altitude	agl single value : 5
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Enstrom Helicopter 280 Shark
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 110 flight time total : 4030 flight time type : 3600
ASRS Report	434555
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I appeared at a school in the tv station's helicopter. I was scheduled to talk about flying helicopters and being on tv. After speaking for about 1 hour, it was time to leave. After spending 30 mins telling the kids how helicopters land without power, I decided to show them an autorotation in a large open park next to the school. I chose to do a full touchdown automatic. Right before contact with the ground the tail rotor struck the sod. I did not hit hard, I just wasn't level enough. The tail rotor blades were damaged, but no parts departed the aircraft and no one was in any danger. It was not a rptable incident. I am worried about being violated. 91.119(a) -- I need to be able to perform autorotations to comply and have confidence to do them in open areas. 91.13 -- this is what I might be charged with. It was not a good idea to demonstrate this maneuver, it has the appearance of showing off. Contributing factors: light and variable winds caused my vertical descent, during flare, to be faster and I misjudged my leveling of the helicopter. Weak tail skid, if this was a newer 280 it would have a complete tail guard and I would not be writing this report. Bad relations with local police caused them to report me. They have had 2 bad helicopter crashes (near fatal), and I covered them on tv. Their chance to get even. I practice full touchdown autos and have done about 1000, this is a common occurrence. This is my first damage of an aircraft in 16 yrs of flying and 4000 hours.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ENSTROM HELI STRUCK THE TAIL ROTOR DURING A DEMONSTRATION OF THE AUTOROTATION MANEUVER.

Narrative: I APPEARED AT A SCHOOL IN THE TV STATION'S HELI. I WAS SCHEDULED TO TALK ABOUT FLYING HELIS AND BEING ON TV. AFTER SPEAKING FOR ABOUT 1 HR, IT WAS TIME TO LEAVE. AFTER SPENDING 30 MINS TELLING THE KIDS HOW HELIS LAND WITHOUT PWR, I DECIDED TO SHOW THEM AN AUTOROTATION IN A LARGE OPEN PARK NEXT TO THE SCHOOL. I CHOSE TO DO A FULL TOUCHDOWN AUTO. RIGHT BEFORE CONTACT WITH THE GND THE TAIL ROTOR STRUCK THE SOD. I DID NOT HIT HARD, I JUST WASN'T LEVEL ENOUGH. THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES WERE DAMAGED, BUT NO PARTS DEPARTED THE ACFT AND NO ONE WAS IN ANY DANGER. IT WAS NOT A RPTABLE INCIDENT. I AM WORRIED ABOUT BEING VIOLATED. 91.119(A) -- I NEED TO BE ABLE TO PERFORM AUTOROTATIONS TO COMPLY AND HAVE CONFIDENCE TO DO THEM IN OPEN AREAS. 91.13 -- THIS IS WHAT I MIGHT BE CHARGED WITH. IT WAS NOT A GOOD IDEA TO DEMONSTRATE THIS MANEUVER, IT HAS THE APPEARANCE OF SHOWING OFF. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS CAUSED MY VERT DSCNT, DURING FLARE, TO BE FASTER AND I MISJUDGED MY LEVELING OF THE HELI. WEAK TAIL SKID, IF THIS WAS A NEWER 280 IT WOULD HAVE A COMPLETE TAIL GUARD AND I WOULD NOT BE WRITING THIS RPT. BAD RELATIONS WITH LCL POLICE CAUSED THEM TO RPT ME. THEY HAVE HAD 2 BAD HELI CRASHES (NEAR FATAL), AND I COVERED THEM ON TV. THEIR CHANCE TO GET EVEN. I PRACTICE FULL TOUCHDOWN AUTOS AND HAVE DONE ABOUT 1000, THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE. THIS IS MY FIRST DAMAGE OF AN ACFT IN 16 YRS OF FLYING AND 4000 HRS.

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.