What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) While attempting to lift a filled bambi bucket from a reservoir the helicopter impacted small trees and the water following an in-flight loss of control. The helicopter was submerged in the reservoir with the exception of the right skid and struts. The bucket and line were not attached to the external hook. The fuselage remained intact, but sustained impact deformation to its undercarriage, the left side of the helicopter, in front of the pilot's seat sustained the most impact damage in the up and aft direction. The tail boom sustained deformation damage to its left side consistent with the shape of the main rotor blade's leading edge. The horizontal and vertical stabilizer section, with the tail rotor gearbox and tail rotor blades intact and attached, separated from the tail boom about 8 inches forward of the vertical stabilizer's leading edge. Examination of the aircraft, once removed to a hangar at lih airport, revealed control continuity. The aircraft appeared to be under power at the time of impact. It appears that the aircraft was fully operational (see sec 42) at the time of the accident and that the pilot lost control of the aircraft while attempting a maneuver for which he was not qualified.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LIFT A FILLED BAMBI BUCKET FROM A RESERVOIR THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED SMALL TREES AND THE WATER FOLLOWING AN IN-FLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL. THE HELICOPTER WAS SUBMERGED IN THE RESERVOIR WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE RIGHT SKID AND STRUTS. THE BUCKET AND LINE WERE NOT ATTACHED TO THE EXTERNAL HOOK. THE FUSELAGE REMAINED INTACT, BUT SUSTAINED IMPACT DEFORMATION TO ITS UNDERCARRIAGE, THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HELICOPTER, IN FRONT OF THE PILOT'S SEAT SUSTAINED THE MOST IMPACT DAMAGE IN THE UP AND AFT DIRECTION. THE TAIL BOOM SUSTAINED DEFORMATION DAMAGE TO ITS LEFT SIDE CONSISTENT WITH THE SHAPE OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE'S LEADING EDGE. THE HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL STABILIZER SECTION, WITH THE TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX AND TAIL ROTOR BLADES INTACT AND ATTACHED, SEPARATED FROM THE TAIL BOOM ABOUT 8 INCHES FORWARD OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER'S LEADING EDGE. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT, ONCE REMOVED TO A HANGAR AT LIH AIRPORT, REVEALED CONTROL CONTINUITY. THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE UNDER POWER AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. IT APPEARS THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS FULLY OPERATIONAL (SEE SEC 42) AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND THAT THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT WHILE ATTEMPTING A MANEUVER FOR WHICH HE WAS NOT QUALIFIED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.