What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot of the aircraft was in cruise flight at 2000 feet mean sea level, 80 knots, approximately 10 miles east of Port Columbus (cmh) when a n upset occurred. Specifically, the pilot stated "I was in the right seat in cruise flight about 80 knots. I looked to my right and got a blast of wind on the back of my head that knocked my glasses and headset off. All I saw was earth and sky, earth and sky. In my mind, I thought I was flipping, then I thought I was spinning. When it stopped, the headset was hanging by the cord outside the helicopter, and my glasses were on the floor." The pilot said he recovered his headset and glasses, restored communications with air traffic control (ATC), and continued the flight to his destination. He added that, based on the performance and handling of the helicopter, and the normal indications of the instruments, that it was safe to continue the flight. Both main rotor blades were kinked in the trailing edge about 40 inches from the hub, no delamination. Both blades struck the tailboom during engine shut down. The droop stop bolt was sheared. Both mast plastic bumpers were cut through, very slight damage to the mast.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 2000 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL, 80 KNOTS, APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES EAST OF PORT COLUMBUS (CMH) WHEN A N UPSET OCCURRED. SPECIFICALLY, THE PILOT STATED "I WAS IN THE RIGHT SEAT IN CRUISE FLIGHT ABOUT 80 KNOTS. I LOOKED TO MY RIGHT AND GOT A BLAST OF WIND ON THE BACK OF MY HEAD THAT KNOCKED MY GLASSES AND HEADSET OFF. ALL I SAW WAS EARTH AND SKY, EARTH AND SKY. IN MY MIND, I THOUGHT I WAS FLIPPING, THEN I THOUGHT I WAS SPINNING. WHEN IT STOPPED, THE HEADSET WAS HANGING BY THE CORD OUTSIDE THE HELICOPTER, AND MY GLASSES WERE ON THE FLOOR." THE PILOT SAID HE RECOVERED HIS HEADSET AND GLASSES, RESTORED COMMUNICATIONS WITH AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC), AND CONTINUED THE FLIGHT TO HIS DESTINATION. HE ADDED THAT, BASED ON THE PERFORMANCE AND HANDLING OF THE HELICOPTER, AND THE NORMAL INDICATIONS OF THE INSTRUMENTS, THAT IT WAS SAFE TO CONTINUE THE FLIGHT. BOTH MAIN ROTOR BLADES WERE KINKED IN THE TRAILING EDGE ABOUT 40 INCHES FROM THE HUB, NO DELAMINATION. BOTH BLADES STRUCK THE TAILBOOM DURING ENGINE SHUT DOWN. THE DROOP STOP BOLT WAS SHEARED. BOTH MAST PLASTIC BUMPERS WERE CUT THROUGH, VERY SLIGHT DAMAGE TO THE MAST.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.