What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
During a night training flight departure from runway 15 @ fyg the instructor pilot aborted the take-off by performing a quick stop maneuver to avoid a bird passing in front of the helicopter. The direction of flight was along the cardinal heading of runway 15 and over the runway. The student pilot was on the controls at the time and states that he was approximately 10 to 15 feet off the ground and moving forward at 15 to 20 knots, when due to the impending bird strike the instructor rapidly took control of the helicopter and initiated the quick stop maneuver. The tail stinger and fin made contact with the ground which resulted in damage. The damage consisted of:
1. Tail stinger tube assembly broken off.
2. Lower aft portion of tail fin bent (approx. 1 inch).
3. Paint damage to the tail rotor shroud due to the tail rotor blades making contact with the shroud.
As the FAA filed it
DURING A NIGHT TRAINING FLIGHT DEPARTURE FROM RUNWAY 15 @ FYG THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT ABORTED THE TAKE-OFF BY PERFORMING A QUICK STOP MANEUVER TO AVOID A BIRD PASSING IN FRONT OF THE HELICOPTER. THE DIRECTION OF FLIGHT WAS ALONG THE CARDINAL HEADING OF RUNWAY 15 AND OVER THE RUNWAY. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS ON THE CONTROLS AT THE TIME AND STATES THAT HE WAS APPROXIMATELY 10 TO 15 FEET OFF THE GROUND AND MOVING FORWARD AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS, WHEN DUE TO THE IMPENDING BIRD STRIKE THE INSTRUCTOR RAPIDLY TOOK CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER AND INITIATED THE QUICK STOP MANEUVER. THE TAIL STINGER AND FIN MADE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND WHICH RESULTED IN DAMAGE. THE DAMAGE CONSISTED OF:
1. TAIL STINGER TUBE ASSEMBLY BROKEN OFF.
2. LOWER AFT PORTION OF TAIL FIN BENT (APPROX. 1 INCH).
3. PAINT DAMAGE TO THE TAIL ROTOR SHROUD DUE TO THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES MAKING CONTACT WITH THE SHROUD.