What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Fog in the area caused the windscreen to be in need of clearing. Airman departed with poor visibility through the windscreen. This caused her to unknowingly drift rearward into the rotating blades of another 407 helicopter. The airman completed a successful hovering autorotation as a result of the tail rotor separating from the aircraft. Also, the airman deviated from her normal engine rinse procedures in an effort to leave first from the parking area for fuel. The company had recently moved operations to the area due to hurricane ida. The airman indicated the excess number of aircraft in the area caused less than ideal clearance between them.
As the FAA filed it
FOG IN THE AREA CAUSED THE WINDSCREEN TO BE IN NEED OF CLEARING. AIRMAN DEPARTED WITH POOR VISIBILITY THROUGH THE WINDSCREEN. THIS CAUSED HER TO UNKNOWINGLY DRIFT REARWARD INTO THE ROTATING BLADES OF ANOTHER 407 HELICOPTER. THE AIRMAN COMPLETED A SUCCESSFUL HOVERING AUTOROTATION AS A RESULT OF THE TAIL ROTOR SEPARATING FROM THE AIRCRAFT. ALSO, THE AIRMAN DEVIATED FROM HER NORMAL ENGINE RINSE PROCEDURES IN AN EFFORT TO LEAVE FIRST FROM THE PARKING AREA FOR FUEL. THE COMPANY HAD RECENTLY MOVED OPERATIONS TO THE AREA DUE TO HURRICANE IDA. THE AIRMAN INDICATED THE EXCESS NUMBER OF AIRCRAFT IN THE AREA CAUSED LESS THAN IDEAL CLEARANCE BETWEEN THEM.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.