What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative: on March 28, 1997, after completing the final flight of a 3 or 4 day helicopter christmas tree fertilizing operation, in a tight area surrounded by tall trees, helicopter ATP pilot kenneth cox, flying a Bell 206B, approached the landing area to drop off his underslung fertilizer bucket and to refuel the helicopter. While following the guidance of a ground signal man, Mr. Tom wilson, the pilot lowered the bucket to the ground, then, with the bucket still attached, he backed up to land in an area to the left of and between the fertilizer truck and a refueling truck. After his ground signal man cleared him to land, the pilot lowered the helicopter to the ground until he felt the rear heels of the helicopter skids touch the gravel landing area. Then as he was completing the landing he felt the impact, and heard the noise, of the main rotor blades striking the jib portion and dangling chain of "a" frame type bucket support structure that was high in the air and protruding several feet over the tail end of the fuel truck. The pilot and the signal man both stated that although they were working in a tight area there was sufficient clearance for a safe landing. They had,infact performed 50 or 60 similar landings in the same area during the past several days. The signal man stated that after he gave the pilot final clearance to land, he turned to walk away from the immediate area when he heard the impact. Other witnesses, including the pilot and the owner of the helicopter, who was sitting in one of the trucks, stated that the helicopter may have drifted to the right toward the vehicles as it touched down, OR that it may have skidded on the gravel. However, no one was certain as to which of the two situations occurred. All persons involved felt they were operating in a safe manner. The winds were light and "normal" for the area of operation.
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE: ON MARCH 28, 1997, AFTER COMPLETING THE FINAL FLIGHT OF A 3 OR 4 DAY HELICOPTER CHRISTMAS TREE FERTILIZING OPERATION, IN A TIGHT AREA SURROUNDED BY TALL TREES, HELICOPTER ATP PILOT KENNETH COX, FLYING A BELL 206B, APPROACHED THE LANDING AREA TO DROP OFF HIS UNDERSLUNG FERTILIZER BUCKET AND TO REFUEL THE HELICOPTER. WHILE FOLLOWING THE GUIDANCE OF A GROUND SIGNAL MAN, MR. TOM WILSON, THE PILOT LOWERED THE BUCKET TO THE GROUND, THEN, WITH THE BUCKET STILL ATTACHED, HE BACKED UP TO LAND IN AN AREA TO THE LEFT OF AND BETWEEN THE FERTILIZER TRUCK AND A REFUELING TRUCK. AFTER HIS GROUND SIGNAL MAN CLEARED HIM TO LAND, THE PILOT LOWERED THE HELICOPTER TO THE GROUND UNTIL HE FELT THE REAR HEELS OF THE HELICOPTER SKIDS TOUCH THE GRAVEL LANDING AREA. THEN AS HE WAS COMPLETING THE LANDING HE FELT THE IMPACT, AND HEARD THE NOISE, OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRIKING THE JIB PORTION AND DANGLING CHAIN OF "A" FRAME TYPE BUCKET SUPPORT STRUCTURE THAT WAS HIGH IN THE AIR AND PROTRUDING SEVERAL FEET OVER THE TAIL END OF THE FUEL TRUCK. THE PILOT AND THE SIGNAL MAN BOTH STATED THAT ALTHOUGH THEY WERE WORKING IN A TIGHT AREA THERE WAS SUFFICIENT CLEARANCE FOR A SAFE LANDING. THEY HAD,INFACT PERFORMED 50 OR 60 SIMILAR LANDINGS IN THE SAME AREA DURING THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS. THE SIGNAL MAN STATED THAT AFTER HE GAVE THE PILOT FINAL CLEARANCE TO LAND, HE TURNED TO WALK AWAY FROM THE IMMEDIATE AREA WHEN HE HEARD THE IMPACT. OTHER WITNESSES, INCLUDING THE PILOT AND THE OWNER OF THE HELICOPTER, WHO WAS SITTING IN ONE OF THE TRUCKS, STATED THAT THE HELICOPTER MAY HAVE DRIFTED TO THE RIGHT TOWARD THE VEHICLES AS IT TOUCHED DOWN, OR THAT IT MAY HAVE SKIDDED ON THE GRAVEL. HOWEVER, NO ONE WAS CERTAIN AS TO WHICH OF THE TWO SITUATIONS OCCURRED. ALL PERSONS INVOLVED FELT THEY WERE OPERATING IN A SAFE MANNER. THE WINDS WERE LIGHT AND "NORMAL" FOR THE AREA OF OPERATION.