What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot was hovering helicopter down a ridgeline 10-20 feet above the surface at an elevation of 2700 feet heading into the wind creating blowing snow along an adjacent slope for a film shoot of an advertisement for mountain dew. The helicopter was making the fourth run at 5 KIAS but continued further than previous runs and experience flat light conditions from an adjacent mountain shadow. The pilot lost depth perception and became momentarily disoriented while attempting to fly the helicopter forward and up, contacting the tail rotor in 4-5' of loose snow. The pilot landed the helicopter on a nearby road with no abnormal vibrations. Upon inspection of the helicoopter by the pilot, there was no obvious visual damage. Company maintenance was notified and upon further inspection, the tail rotor drive shaft was found to have evidence of torsional stress applied from the contact of the tail rotor with the frozen surface. The tail rotor itself remained intact.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT WAS HOVERING HELICOPTER DOWN A RIDGELINE 10-20 FEET ABOVE THE SURFACE AT AN ELEVATION OF 2700 FEET HEADING INTO THE WIND CREATING BLOWING SNOW ALONG AN ADJACENT SLOPE FOR A FILM SHOOT OF AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR MOUNTAIN DEW. THE HELICOPTER WAS MAKING THE FOURTH RUN AT 5 KIAS BUT CONTINUED FURTHER THAN PREVIOUS RUNS AND EXPERIENCE FLAT LIGHT CONDITIONS FROM AN ADJACENT MOUNTAIN SHADOW. THE PILOT LOST DEPTH PERCEPTION AND BECAME MOMENTARILY DISORIENTED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO FLY THE HELICOPTER FORWARD AND UP, CONTACTING THE TAIL ROTOR IN 4-5' OF LOOSE SNOW. THE PILOT LANDED THE HELICOPTER ON A NEARBY ROAD WITH NO ABNORMAL VIBRATIONS. UPON INSPECTION OF THE HELICOOPTER BY THE PILOT, THERE WAS NO OBVIOUS VISUAL DAMAGE. COMPANY MAINTENANCE WAS NOTIFIED AND UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT WAS FOUND TO HAVE EVIDENCE OF TORSIONAL STRESS APPLIED FROM THE CONTACT OF THE TAIL ROTOR WITH THE FROZEN SURFACE. THE TAIL ROTOR ITSELF REMAINED INTACT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.