What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The airman was conducting species eradication operations and performed a low pass over a wooded area before coming to a hover. After establishing the hover, the airman maneuvered the helicopter aft and to the right to position the “shooter” for a better engagement angle. During this maneuver, the airmen became target fixated and lost situational awareness. The helicopter inadvertently descended, resulting in the tail rotor and main rotor blades striking a tree branch. The airman responded by safely repositioning the helicopter away from the trees and executing a precautionary landing in a nearby open field.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRMAN WAS CONDUCTING SPECIES ERADICATION OPERATIONS AND PERFORMED A LOW PASS OVER A WOODED AREA BEFORE COMING TO A HOVER. AFTER ESTABLISHING THE HOVER, THE AIRMAN MANEUVERED THE HELICOPTER AFT AND TO THE RIGHT TO POSITION THE “SHOOTER” FOR A BETTER ENGAGEMENT ANGLE. DURING THIS MANEUVER, THE AIRMEN BECAME TARGET FIXATED AND LOST SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. THE HELICOPTER INADVERTENTLY DESCENDED, RESULTING IN THE TAIL ROTOR AND MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRIKING A TREE BRANCH. THE AIRMAN RESPONDED BY SAFELY REPOSITIONING THE HELICOPTER AWAY FROM THE TREES AND EXECUTING A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING IN A NEARBY OPEN FIELD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.