What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Personnel were conducting a series of maintenance flights to track and balance the main rotor. The pilot completed several flights and start ups before the mechanic felt that the next start would be better accomplished with the assistance of a ground power unit (gpu). The pilot brought the golf cart/gpu to the aircraft and the mechanic connected the gpu to the aircraft for the next start. The aircraft was started by the pilot, the mechanic then disconnected the gpu, climbed in the aircraft and strapped himself in the copilot seat. The pilot asked the helipad crew located near the hangar, which was approximately 200 feet from the aircraft, if the surrounding area of the aircraft was clear. He obtained confirmation from him and lifted off to a hover without being aware the location of the golf cart/gpu. The aircraft moved slightly forward with a slight pedal turn to the left. The tail rotor impacted the cart. The pilot felt a vibration and landed the aircraft approximately 7 feet from the initial takeoff point and shutdown. As result of the collision, the aircraft sustained substantial damage to the tail rotor, tail boom, and horizontal stabilizer.
As the FAA filed it
PERSONNEL WERE CONDUCTING A SERIES OF MAINTENANCE FLIGHTS TO TRACK AND BALANCE THE MAIN ROTOR. THE PILOT COMPLETED SEVERAL FLIGHTS AND START UPS BEFORE THE MECHANIC FELT THAT THE NEXT START WOULD BE BETTER ACCOMPLISHED WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF A GROUND POWER UNIT (GPU). THE PILOT BROUGHT THE GOLF CART/GPU TO THE AIRCRAFT AND THE MECHANIC CONNECTED THE GPU TO THE AIRCRAFT FOR THE NEXT START. THE AIRCRAFT WAS STARTED BY THE PILOT, THE MECHANIC THEN DISCONNECTED THE GPU, CLIMBED IN THE AIRCRAFT AND STRAPPED HIMSELF IN THE COPILOT SEAT. THE PILOT ASKED THE HELIPAD CREW LOCATED NEAR THE HANGAR, WHICH WAS APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET FROM THE AIRCRAFT, IF THE SURROUNDING AREA OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLEAR. HE OBTAINED CONFIRMATION FROM HIM AND LIFTED OFF TO A HOVER WITHOUT BEING AWARE THE LOCATION OF THE GOLF CART/GPU. THE AIRCRAFT MOVED SLIGHTLY FORWARD WITH A SLIGHT PEDAL TURN TO THE LEFT. THE TAIL ROTOR IMPACTED THE CART. THE PILOT FELT A VIBRATION AND LANDED THE AIRCRAFT APPROXIMATELY 7 FEET FROM THE INITIAL TAKEOFF POINT AND SHUTDOWN. AS RESULT OF THE COLLISION, THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE TAIL ROTOR, TAIL BOOM, AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.