What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The crew received an air ambulance flight assignment to pick up a patient from the local hospital. The pilots began their assignment by performing an aircraft walk-around and accomplished all the appropriate preflight checklists. The crew started the aircraft and accomplished after start and before takeoff checklist as well as performing a hover check. Once all of the pre-departure checks were completed satisfactorily the crew requested a ramp departure with the Waukesha airport tower local controller and began a max performance takeoff. Through 150 feet, while transitioning to forward flight, the PIC experienced an audible bang and felt a momentary shudder. The pilot reported that during this time the control forces were normal and that maybe they had experienced a bird strike. As a precaution, the PIC then elected to turn back to the ramp and notified the tower requesting a precautionary landing on the dolly for further inspection. After the aircraft was shutdown, the PIC noticed during the walkaroud that the fenestron cap covering the tail blade attach points had come off and went through the fenestron shroud and blades causing substansial damage to the tail rotor assembly.
As the FAA filed it
THE CREW RECEIVED AN AIR AMBULANCE FLIGHT ASSIGNMENT TO PICK UP A PATIENT FROM THE LOCAL HOSPITAL. THE PILOTS BEGAN THEIR ASSIGNMENT BY PERFORMING AN AIRCRAFT WALK-AROUND AND ACCOMPLISHED ALL THE APPROPRIATE PREFLIGHT CHECKLISTS. THE CREW STARTED THE AIRCRAFT AND ACCOMPLISHED AFTER START AND BEFORE TAKEOFF CHECKLIST AS WELL AS PERFORMING A HOVER CHECK. ONCE ALL OF THE PRE-DEPARTURE CHECKS WERE COMPLETED SATISFACTORILY THE CREW REQUESTED A RAMP DEPARTURE WITH THE WAUKESHA AIRPORT TOWER LOCAL CONTROLLER AND BEGAN A MAX PERFORMANCE TAKEOFF. THROUGH 150 FEET, WHILE TRANSITIONING TO FORWARD FLIGHT, THE PIC EXPERIENCED AN AUDIBLE BANG AND FELT A MOMENTARY SHUDDER. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING THIS TIME THE CONTROL FORCES WERE NORMAL AND THAT MAYBE THEY HAD EXPERIENCED A BIRD STRIKE. AS A PRECAUTION, THE PIC THEN ELECTED TO TURN BACK TO THE RAMP AND NOTIFIED THE TOWER REQUESTING A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING ON THE DOLLY FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS SHUTDOWN, THE PIC NOTICED DURING THE WALKAROUD THAT THE FENESTRON CAP COVERING THE TAIL BLADE ATTACH POINTS HAD COME OFF AND WENT THROUGH THE FENESTRON SHROUD AND BLADES CAUSING SUBSTANSIAL DAMAGE TO THE TAIL ROTOR ASSEMBLY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.