What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 07-21-07 at approximately 1615 hours local time, while dipping water for fire fighting operations, the commercial pilot allowed the tail rotor of the HU-369-D to strike the lake surface. After feeling a vibration in the helicopter, the pilot leveled the aircraft and came to a hover when there was a loud noise followed by loss of tail rotor authority. The pilot then reduced the power and allowed the aircraft to settle into 3 to 4 feet of water where it came to rest in an upright-tail down attitude. There was no pre- or post-accident fire and no injuries to the pilot, who was the lone occupant of the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 07-21-07 AT APPROXIMATELY 1615 HOURS LOCAL TIME, WHILE DIPPING WATER FOR FIRE FIGHTING OPERATIONS, THE COMMERCIAL PILOT ALLOWED THE TAIL ROTOR OF THE HU-369-D TO STRIKE THE LAKE SURFACE. AFTER FEELING A VIBRATION IN THE HELICOPTER, THE PILOT LEVELED THE AIRCRAFT AND CAME TO A HOVER WHEN THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE FOLLOWED BY LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR AUTHORITY. THE PILOT THEN REDUCED THE POWER AND ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO SETTLE INTO 3 TO 4 FEET OF WATER WHERE IT CAME TO REST IN AN UPRIGHT-TAIL DOWN ATTITUDE. THERE WAS NO PRE- OR POST-ACCIDENT FIRE AND NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT, WHO WAS THE LONE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.