What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot was dipping water from a remote pond with a bucket on a 100' long line for usfs fire fighting use. During the climb with a full bucket the pilot heard a bang and the aircraft rolled slightly to the rt. The power the engine was developing had been reduced and the rotor RPM was slowing. The pilot assumed he had experienced a compressor stall. The pilot lowered the nose to gain RPM. As the RPM was coming back the pilot tried to increase collective to climb out again but felt the same noise and rotation again. Having no more altitude the pilot saw an opening in the trees, dropped the bucket and line and made a precautionary landing. During the landing flare the aircraft main rotor struck a tree. The main rotor blades suffered a crease and one blade had a hole through it. There was no other damage to the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT WAS DIPPING WATER FROM A REMOTE POND WITH A BUCKET ON A 100' LONG LINE FOR USFS FIRE FIGHTING USE. DURING THE CLIMB WITH A FULL BUCKET THE PILOT HEARD A BANG AND THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED SLIGHTLY TO THE RT. THE POWER THE ENGINE WAS DEVELOPING HAD BEEN REDUCED AND THE ROTOR RPM WAS SLOWING. THE PILOT ASSUMED HE HAD EXPERIENCED A COMPRESSOR STALL. THE PILOT LOWERED THE NOSE TO GAIN RPM. AS THE RPM WAS COMING BACK THE PILOT TRIED TO INCREASE COLLECTIVE TO CLIMB OUT AGAIN BUT FELT THE SAME NOISE AND ROTATION AGAIN. HAVING NO MORE ALTITUDE THE PILOT SAW AN OPENING IN THE TREES, DROPPED THE BUCKET AND LINE AND MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. DURING THE LANDING FLARE THE AIRCRAFT MAIN ROTOR STRUCK A TREE. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES SUFFERED A CREASE AND ONE BLADE HAD A HOLE THROUGH IT. THERE WAS NO OTHER DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT.