What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot was relocating aircraft from Minot airport to the hospital helipad to load medical equipment and staff for a air ambulance flight. On approach to the helipad pilot pulls up on the collective and aft cyclic to slow aircraft, tail of the helicopter dips below the elevation of the helipad and as the aircraft crosses over the edge of the helipad and safety fence the vertical fin and tail rotor strike the safety fence outer support and fencing.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT WAS RELOCATING AIRCRAFT FROM MINOT AIRPORT TO THE HOSPITAL HELIPAD TO LOAD MEDICAL EQUIPMENT AND STAFF FOR A AIR AMBULANCE FLIGHT. ON APPROACH TO THE HELIPAD PILOT PULLS UP ON THE COLLECTIVE AND AFT CYCLIC TO SLOW AIRCRAFT, TAIL OF THE HELICOPTER DIPS BELOW THE ELEVATION OF THE HELIPAD AND AS THE AIRCRAFT CROSSES OVER THE EDGE OF THE HELIPAD AND SAFETY FENCE THE VERTICAL FIN AND TAIL ROTOR STRIKE THE SAFETY FENCE OUTER SUPPORT AND FENCING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.