NTSB Factual Report

On May 4, 2015 about 1045 mountain daylight time, an Airbus AS-350 BA helicopter, N504WD, had a hard landing during a practice hovering autorotation at the Ravalli County Airport (6S5) in Hamilton, Montana. The flight instructor and the pilot receiving instruction were not injured. The helicopter sustained substantial damage. The helicopter was registered to Hat Creek Helicopters LLC, Hamilton, Montana, and operated by the flight instructor as a day, visual flight rules instruction flight under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from the Ravalli County Airport (6S5), Hamilton, Montana.

The flight instructor reported that during hovering autorotation training, the pilot receiving instruction pulled in too much collective pitch, the helicopter ballooned, and subsequently landed hard. The flight instructor reported that they performed several additional training maneuvers and then landed without further incident. A postflight inspection revealed substantial damage to the tailboom.