What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
A Bell HH-1H helicopter, operated under public use by washoe county sheriff's office, struck the top of a tree while conducting hoist training on the south side of slide mountain at n 39 17.938 by w 119 051.947, at approximately 7,000 feet MSL. The pilot had just completed lowering one qualified crewmember to the ground, and had the second crewmember half-way down from an approximately 75 feet hoist. The pilot reported that while in a hover at 75 feet, the aircraft experienced a downdraft, causing the aircraft to descend approximately 25 feet. The pilot applied power to arrest the descent and simultaneously heard four loud pops. The pilot looked out to the left and saw the tree tops appeared to have fresh cuts. The pilot notified his crew and made an emergency landing 1 mile east down in washoe valley. No one was injured.
As the FAA filed it
A BELL HH-1H HELICOPTER, OPERATED UNDER PUBLIC USE BY WASHOE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, STRUCK THE TOP OF A TREE WHILE CONDUCTING HOIST TRAINING ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF SLIDE MOUNTAIN AT N 39 17.938 BY W 119 051.947, AT APPROXIMATELY 7,000 FEET MSL. THE PILOT HAD JUST COMPLETED LOWERING ONE QUALIFIED CREWMEMBER TO THE GROUND, AND HAD THE SECOND CREWMEMBER HALF-WAY DOWN FROM AN APPROXIMATELY 75 FEET HOIST. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE IN A HOVER AT 75 FEET, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A DOWNDRAFT, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO DESCEND APPROXIMATELY 25 FEET. THE PILOT APPLIED POWER TO ARREST THE DESCENT AND SIMULTANEOUSLY HEARD FOUR LOUD POPS. THE PILOT LOOKED OUT TO THE LEFT AND SAW THE TREE TOPS APPEARED TO HAVE FRESH CUTS. THE PILOT NOTIFIED HIS CREW AND MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING 1 MILE EAST DOWN IN WASHOE VALLEY. NO ONE WAS INJURED.
Other reports on N911NV · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.