What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
After landing the helicopter, the pilot exited the aircraft and left it in ground idle to retrieve the long line that had just been used. While standing on the right side of the helicopter and recoiling the line into the back area, he pulled on the line that was lying on the ground beside the aircraft. The line had become snagged on a rock, and when it released, the lightweight kevlar long line whipped upward and became entangled in the helicopter’s operating main rotor system, causing a severe rotor imbalance and the subsequent partly separation of the main rotor gearbox.
As the FAA filed it
AFTER LANDING THE HELICOPTER, THE PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND LEFT IT IN GROUND IDLE TO RETRIEVE THE LONG LINE THAT HAD JUST BEEN USED. WHILE STANDING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HELICOPTER AND RECOILING THE LINE INTO THE BACK AREA, HE PULLED ON THE LINE THAT WAS LYING ON THE GROUND BESIDE THE AIRCRAFT. THE LINE HAD BECOME SNAGGED ON A ROCK, AND WHEN IT RELEASED, THE LIGHTWEIGHT KEVLAR LONG LINE WHIPPED UPWARD AND BECAME ENTANGLED IN THE HELICOPTER’S OPERATING MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM, CAUSING A SEVERE ROTOR IMBALANCE AND THE SUBSEQUENT PARTLY SEPARATION OF THE MAIN ROTOR GEARBOX.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.