What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot-in-command (PIC) states after a high and low reconnaissance he executed a normal approached to an unprepared lz which terminated to a 3-5 foot hover.
The aircraft and crew were being marshaled by ground personnel at the off site landing zone (lz). The lz was a grassy terrain area and apparently sloped. As the PIC lowered collective the aircraft slid rearward. In an attempt to level the aircraft the PIC applied forward cyclic and the main rotor made contact with the wire strike protection system.
The PIC repositioned the aircraft parallel to the slope.
The aircraft was shut down and inspected for damage. It was determined that two of the four main rotor blades were damaged. Bell maintenance personnel at the scene removed and replaced the two damaged blades. An after maintenance run up of the aircraft was conducted and the aircraft was returned to service.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT-IN-COMMAND (PIC) STATES AFTER A HIGH AND LOW RECONNAISSANCE HE EXECUTED A NORMAL APPROACHED TO AN UNPREPARED LZ WHICH TERMINATED TO A 3-5 FOOT HOVER.
THE AIRCRAFT AND CREW WERE BEING MARSHALED BY GROUND PERSONNEL AT THE OFF SITE LANDING ZONE (LZ). THE LZ WAS A GRASSY TERRAIN AREA AND APPARENTLY SLOPED. AS THE PIC LOWERED COLLECTIVE THE AIRCRAFT SLID REARWARD. IN AN ATTEMPT TO LEVEL THE AIRCRAFT THE PIC APPLIED FORWARD CYCLIC AND THE MAIN ROTOR MADE CONTACT WITH THE WIRE STRIKE PROTECTION SYSTEM.
THE PIC REPOSITIONED THE AIRCRAFT PARALLEL TO THE SLOPE.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS SHUT DOWN AND INSPECTED FOR DAMAGE. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT TWO OF THE FOUR MAIN ROTOR BLADES WERE DAMAGED. BELL MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL AT THE SCENE REMOVED AND REPLACED THE TWO DAMAGED BLADES. AN AFTER MAINTENANCE RUN UP OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONDUCTED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.