What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Search and rescue flight. Hovering. Left skid on rock loading victim. Wind gust caused tailrotor strike rocks. (-23) during search & rescue mission by state police, while rescue personnel were loading a corpse on the helicopter, it was hovering at the bottom of a 750' canyon. When the wind shifted, the tail rotor hit a rock. On immediate shut down, the craft settled.
As the FAA filed it
SEARCH AND RESCUE FLIGHT.HOVERING. LEFT SKID ON ROCK LOADING VICTIM. WIND GUST CAUSED TAILROTOR STRIKE ROCKS. (-23) DURING SEARCH & RESCUE MISSION BY STATE POLICE, WHILE RESCUE PERSONNEL WERE LOADING A CORPSE ON THE HELICOPTER, IT WAS HOVERING AT THE BOTTOM OF A 750' CANYON. WHEN THE WIND SHIFTED, THE TAIL ROTOR HIT A ROCK. ON IMMEDIATE SHUT DOWN, THE CRAFT SETTLED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.