What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot was hovering aircraft from dolly to hardstand to do track and balance to rotor system. Pilot door opened, pilot took right hand off of the cyclic and put his left hand on cyclic. He attempted to close the door with his right hand and retrieve a clipboard that was falling out of the aircraft. The aircraft pitched back and struck the tail stinger hard enough to snap it off plus cause substantial damage to the vertical fin, tailboom and fuselage of the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT WAS HOVERING AIRCRAFT FROM DOLLY TO HARDSTAND TO DO TRACK AND BALANCE TO ROTOR SYSTEM. PILOT DOOR OPENED, PILOT TOOK RIGHT HAND OFF OF THE CYCLIC AND PUT HIS LEFT HAND ON CYCLIC. HE ATTEMPTED TO CLOSE THE DOOR WITH HIS RIGHT HAND AND RETRIEVE A CLIPBOARD THAT WAS FALLING OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED BACK AND STRUCK THE TAIL STINGER HARD ENOUGH TO SNAP IT OFF PLUS CAUSE SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE VERTICAL FIN, TAILBOOM AND FUSELAGE 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.