What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
During a part 133 external load operation, the helicopter was delivering a load of christmas trees to the landing. When the pilot activated the release, the load did not initially release. Based on investigation, it appears that the pilot tried to fly away before the load released, the nose pitched down, the pilot corrected with aft cyclic and the main rotor cut off the tail boom forward of the tail rotor. The helicopter rotated over 10 rotations and impacted the ground in a nose down position over 100 yards away from where the tail boom and tail rotor landed. Upon contacting the ground, the main rotors and rotor head detached from the aircraft. Hook on the long line was manufactured by mechanical specialities.
As the FAA filed it
DURING A PART 133 EXTERNAL LOAD OPERATION, THE HELICOPTER WAS DELIVERING A LOAD OF CHRISTMAS TREES TO THE LANDING. WHEN THE PILOT ACTIVATED THE RELEASE, THE LOAD DID NOT INITIALLY RELEASE. BASED ON INVESTIGATION, IT APPEARS THAT THE PILOT TRIED TO FLY AWAY BEFORE THE LOAD RELEASED, THE NOSE PITCHED DOWN, THE PILOT CORRECTED WITH AFT CYCLIC AND THE MAIN ROTOR CUT OFF THE TAIL BOOM FORWARD OF THE TAIL ROTOR. THE HELICOPTER ROTATED OVER 10 ROTATIONS AND IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NOSE DOWN POSITION OVER 100 YARDS AWAY FROM WHERE THE TAIL BOOM AND TAIL ROTOR LANDED. UPON CONTACTING THE GROUND, THE MAIN ROTORS AND ROTOR HEAD DETACHED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. HOOK ON THE LONG LINE WAS MANUFACTURED BY MECHANICAL SPECIALITIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.