NTSB Identification: LAX04CA122.
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Accident occurred Thursday, February 12, 2004 in Mesa, AZ
Probable
Cause Approval Date: 4/28/2004
Aircraft: McDonnell Douglas 369FF,
registration: N630N
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.

The helicopter's main rotor blades struck the tail boom following a hard
landing. The pilot was demonstrating full-touchdown, practice autorotations for
a potential customer. Before touching down, about 2 feet above ground level, the
helicopter encountered a gust of wind and the nose turned 45 degrees to the
left. The pilot applied right pedal pressure to counteract the sudden drift, but
was unable to get the helicopter back on centerline. During touchdown, the
helicopter landed hard and skidded about 4 feet until it came to rest without
incident. A few seconds later, the pilot heard a loud noise. The main rotor
blades had collided with the tail boom. The pilot did not report any mechanical
problems with the helicopter prior to the accident.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of
this accident as follows:
the pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind
gusts and subsequent failure to maintain directional control of the helicopter,
which resulted in a hard landing. A contributing factor was a wind gust.

Full
narrative available

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