What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft had just landed in a remote landing zone to drop off two passengers and start slinging bundles of camping gear out of the area via a long line. Pilot was focused on landing over the longline to facilitate hookup. Right after the aircraft touched down and prior to the pilot reducing rotor RPM, a tarp was blown up by the rotor wash. The tarp came down through the main rotor system, hitting the wind shield. The tarp caused one main rotor blade to leave the aircraft. The out of balance condition caused the aircraft to shake violently, separating the tail boom and displacing the engine and instrument panel.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT HAD JUST LANDED IN A REMOTE LANDING ZONE TO DROP OFF TWO PASSENGERS AND START SLINGING BUNDLES OF CAMPING GEAR OUT OF THE AREA VIA A LONG LINE. PILOT WAS FOCUSED ON LANDING OVER THE LONGLINE TO FACILITATE HOOKUP. RIGHT AFTER THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN AND PRIOR TO THE PILOT REDUCING ROTOR RPM, A TARP WAS BLOWN UP BY THE ROTOR WASH. THE TARP CAME DOWN THROUGH THE MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM, HITTING THE WIND SHIELD. THE TARP CAUSED ONE MAIN ROTOR BLADE TO LEAVE THE AIRCRAFT. THE OUT OF BALANCE CONDITION CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY, SEPARATING THE TAIL BOOM AND DISPLACING THE ENGINE AND INSTRUMENT PANEL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.