What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 26, 2017, at 8:40AM CST, an Airbus EC130 helicopter bearing registration number N22TZ, registered to kestrel holdings LLC, suffered rotor blade damage to one blade when a weight came off of a game net when fired from the helicopter. The weight impacted the blade and went completely through leaving a hole about 2/3 from the hub. The crew heard a sound best described as a ?whooshing noise?, there was no vibration, drop in rotor speed, or other anomaly noted. The aircraft landed immediately without further incident. The aircraft was being operated on a wildlife anti-depredation operation (part 91). Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed. The rotor blade was substantially damaged, and the pilot, observer and gunner were not injured. The flight originated from La Paloma, TX.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 26, 2017, AT 8:40AM CST, AN AIRBUS EC130 HELICOPTER BEARING REGISTRATION NUMBER N22TZ, REGISTERED TO KESTREL HOLDINGS LLC, SUFFERED ROTOR BLADE DAMAGE TO ONE BLADE WHEN A WEIGHT CAME OFF OF A GAME NET WHEN FIRED FROM THE HELICOPTER. THE WEIGHT IMPACTED THE BLADE AND WENT COMPLETELY THROUGH LEAVING A HOLE ABOUT 2/3 FROM THE HUB. THE CREW HEARD A SOUND BEST DESCRIBED AS A ?WHOOSHING NOISE?, THERE WAS NO VIBRATION, DROP IN ROTOR SPEED, OR OTHER ANOMALY NOTED. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED ON A WILDLIFE ANTI-DEPREDATION OPERATION (PART 91). VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE ROTOR BLADE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED, AND THE PILOT, OBSERVER AND GUNNER WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM LA PALOMA, TX.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.