What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Due to the nature of the landing spot, the only direction to maneuver the aircraft is backwards in the southern direction, which is a normal operation. He applied aft cyclic to move in the desired direction, which caused the stinger to inadvertently penetrate into the snow. He was unaware of the fact that this had happened at that point in time. With the continued aft movement, the stinger continued to drag the tail of the aircraft downwards. He felt an abnormality in the helicopter during the backwards movement. The abnormality that he felt was a light shutter/vibration felt throughout the helicopter. The shutter/vibration stopped once aft movement stopped, and once the aircraft was leveled again.
He brought the aircraft back to a stationary hover, then into a slow forward hover to land back to where he picked up from. He proceeded with the normal shut down procedure once back on the ground.
As the FAA filed it
DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE LANDING SPOT, THE ONLY DIRECTION TO MANEUVER THE AIRCRAFT IS BACKWARDS IN THE SOUTHERN DIRECTION, WHICH IS A NORMAL OPERATION. HE APPLIED AFT CYCLIC TO MOVE IN THE DESIRED DIRECTION, WHICH CAUSED THE STINGER TO INADVERTENTLY PENETRATE INTO THE SNOW. HE WAS UNAWARE OF THE FACT THAT THIS HAD HAPPENED AT THAT POINT IN TIME. WITH THE CONTINUED AFT MOVEMENT, THE STINGER CONTINUED TO DRAG THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT DOWNWARDS. HE FELT AN ABNORMALITY IN THE HELICOPTER DURING THE BACKWARDS MOVEMENT. THE ABNORMALITY THAT HE FELT WAS A LIGHT SHUTTER/VIBRATION FELT THROUGHOUT THE HELICOPTER. THE SHUTTER/VIBRATION STOPPED ONCE AFT MOVEMENT STOPPED, AND ONCE THE AIRCRAFT WAS LEVELED AGAIN.
HE BROUGHT THE AIRCRAFT BACK TO A STATIONARY HOVER, THEN INTO A SLOW FORWARD HOVER TO LAND BACK TO WHERE HE PICKED UP FROM. HE PROCEEDED WITH THE NORMAL SHUT DOWN PROCEDURE ONCE BACK ON THE GROUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.