What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The flight was maintenance related for a return to service validation. The portions of the flight leading to the incident were uneventful and the maintenance related tasks were satisfactory. The final flight check required hovering the aircraft near max gross weight. It was decided to utilize water in the fixed tank to accomplish this condition. This is a typical action to increase the weight of the aircraft for testing.
During a hover over the rogue river to fill the water tank, the PIC allowed the aircraft wheels to descend into the water. His control inputs to arrest this action resulted in the fuselage entering a slight nose high attitude thus causing the tail rotor to contact the river. Although the flight engineer could not see the tail rotor contact the river (his view was obstructed by the fixed tank), he saw a volume of water directed laterally from the surface of the river and felt a "thump" in the airframe. These indications combined with the wheels visibly being in the water, lead him to believe that the tail rotor contact the water. The crew decided to return to Medford Airport (kmfr) and park at their facility. During the flight back the flight crew noticed a vibration in the airframe. They landed at the airport without incident, shut down the engines, and inspected the aircraft. Follow up action and airman information pending this record will updated as an ammendment once information is availiable
As the FAA filed it
THE FLIGHT WAS MAINTENANCE RELATED FOR A RETURN TO SERVICE VALIDATION. THE PORTIONS OF THE FLIGHT LEADING TO THE INCIDENT WERE UNEVENTFUL AND THE MAINTENANCE RELATED TASKS WERE SATISFACTORY. THE FINAL FLIGHT CHECK REQUIRED HOVERING THE AIRCRAFT NEAR MAX GROSS WEIGHT. IT WAS DECIDED TO UTILIZE WATER IN THE FIXED TANK TO ACCOMPLISH THIS CONDITION. THIS IS A TYPICAL ACTION TO INCREASE THE WEIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT FOR TESTING.
DURING A HOVER OVER THE ROGUE RIVER TO FILL THE WATER TANK, THE PIC ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT WHEELS TO DESCEND INTO THE WATER. HIS CONTROL INPUTS TO ARREST THIS ACTION RESULTED IN THE FUSELAGE ENTERING A SLIGHT NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE THUS CAUSING THE TAIL ROTOR TO CONTACT THE RIVER. ALTHOUGH THE FLIGHT ENGINEER COULD NOT SEE THE TAIL ROTOR CONTACT THE RIVER (HIS VIEW WAS OBSTRUCTED BY THE FIXED TANK), HE SAW A VOLUME OF WATER DIRECTED LATERALLY FROM THE SURFACE OF THE RIVER AND FELT A "THUMP" IN THE AIRFRAME. THESE INDICATIONS COMBINED WITH THE WHEELS VISIBLY BEING IN THE WATER, LEAD HIM TO BELIEVE THAT THE TAIL ROTOR CONTACT THE WATER. THE CREW DECIDED TO RETURN TO MEDFORD AIRPORT (KMFR) AND PARK AT THEIR FACILITY. DURING THE FLIGHT BACK THE FLIGHT CREW NOTICED A VIBRATION IN THE AIRFRAME. THEY LANDED AT THE AIRPORT WITHOUT INCIDENT, SHUT DOWN THE ENGINES, AND INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT. FOLLOW UP ACTION AND AIRMAN INFORMATION PENDING THIS RECORD WILL UPDATED AS AN AMMENDMENT ONCE INFORMATION IS AVAILIABLE