What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The aircraft was in the process of dropping passengers at several different locations throughout the day, in and around tall trees and in mountainous terrain. While on approach to his landing site (fig 2), the pilot noticed a vibration while landing. After landing, the pilot shutdown the aircraft to investigate and found the underside of the main rotor blades dented/scuffed (fig 1). The site did not have any obstacles or objects tall enough to make contact with the main rotor blades so it was suspected a blade strike occurred somewhere at or near his last landing site which was approximately 1 mile away. The pilot does not remember hitting anything during his approach or departure from the previous site, nor does he know of any obstacles within the rotor arc of his final landing site. The pilot called back to base for assistance, aircraft later was slung out of the site, aircraft was inspected and main rotor blades were installed and the aircraft was returned to service. The removed blades were determined by a repair facility to be unrepairable.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF DROPPING PASSENGERS AT SEVERAL DIFFERENT LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE DAY, IN AND AROUND TALL TREES AND IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. WHILE ON APPROACH TO HIS LANDING SITE (FIG 2), THE PILOT NOTICED A VIBRATION WHILE LANDING. AFTER LANDING, THE PILOT SHUTDOWN THE AIRCRAFT TO INVESTIGATE AND FOUND THE UNDERSIDE OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES DENTED/SCUFFED (FIG 1). THE SITE DID NOT HAVE ANY OBSTACLES OR OBJECTS TALL ENOUGH TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES SO IT WAS SUSPECTED A BLADE STRIKE OCCURRED SOMEWHERE AT OR NEAR HIS LAST LANDING SITE WHICH WAS APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE AWAY. THE PILOT DOES NOT REMEMBER HITTING ANYTHING DURING HIS APPROACH OR DEPARTURE FROM THE PREVIOUS SITE, NOR DOES HE KNOW OF ANY OBSTACLES WITHIN THE ROTOR ARC OF HIS FINAL LANDING SITE. THE PILOT CALLED BACK TO BASE FOR ASSISTANCE, AIRCRAFT LATER WAS SLUNG OUT OF THE SITE, AIRCRAFT WAS INSPECTED AND MAIN ROTOR BLADES WERE INSTALLED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE. THE REMOVED BLADES WERE DETERMINED BY A REPAIR FACILITY TO BE UNREPAIRABLE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.