What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
While operating under part 133 during a christmas tree hauling operation, the remote hook for the external load appears to have momentarily snagged the top of a, causing the hook to catapult through the air and impact a main rotor blade. Subsequently, another main rotor blade impacted and severed the tail boom which separated from the fuselage. Both fuselage and tail section fell to the ground from an approximate height of 25-30 feet and landed approximately 70-80 feet apart. The pilot survived the impact and was air-lifted to the hospital with serious injuries. The airman was counseled by inspector jlj as part of the corrective action. Reference ptrs # 201103192.
As the FAA filed it
WHILE OPERATING UNDER PART 133 DURING A CHRISTMAS TREE HAULING OPERATION, THE REMOTE HOOK FOR THE EXTERNAL LOAD APPEARS TO HAVE MOMENTARILY SNAGGED THE TOP OF A, CAUSING THE HOOK TO CATAPULT THROUGH THE AIR AND IMPACT A MAIN ROTOR BLADE. SUBSEQUENTLY, ANOTHER MAIN ROTOR BLADE IMPACTED AND SEVERED THE TAIL BOOM WHICH SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE. BOTH FUSELAGE AND TAIL SECTION FELL TO THE GROUND FROM AN APPROXIMATE HEIGHT OF 25-30 FEET AND LANDED APPROXIMATELY 70-80 FEET APART. THE PILOT SURVIVED THE IMPACT AND WAS AIR-LIFTED TO THE HOSPITAL WITH SERIOUS INJURIES. THE AIRMAN WAS COUNSELED BY INSPECTOR JLJ AS PART OF THE CORRECTIVE ACTION. REFERENCE PTRS # 201103192.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.