NTSB Identification: WPR12LA341
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Tuesday, July 31, 2012 in Cody, WY
Aircraft: FAIRCHILD HILLER FH-1100, registration: N5038F
Injuries: 4 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On July 31, 2012, about 0920 mountain daylight time, a Fairchild Hiller FH-1100 helicopter, N5038F, was substantially damaged following the failure of its tail rotor drive shaft and subsequent forced landing near Cody, Wyoming. The commercial pilot and his three passengers were not injured. The helicopter was being operated by Eclipse Helicopter Services, Cody, Wyoming, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. No flight plan had been filed for the local personal flight, which had originated about one hour before the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.

The pilot reported that while in cruise flight, the aircraft began to vibrate. He performed an autorotation to a field. The helicopter spun around damaging the tail boom and breaking the transmission support structure.

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