Incident Overview
A helicopter operating at a mine drilling site experienced a loss of control after its main rotor blades contacted a rocky embankment during takeoff from a man-made helipad. The helipad, approximately 50 feet long and 12 feet wide, had been cut into the side of a rocky hill. One worker on the ground was fatally injured by a piece of flying debris during the accident.
Sequence of Events
The helicopter initially transported two workers to the site and landed on the helipad. After offloading the workers, the pilot departed, returning shortly afterward with a 300-gallon storage tank suspended on a long line. The tank was lowered into position at the drilling area. The pilot then landed the helicopter at the end of the helipad while the long line was released.
During a subsequent takeoff, the pilot lifted the helicopter to an altitude of about 3 to 5 feet. At that point, the main rotor blades struck the rocky embankment located on the upslope side of the helipad. The impact caused the helicopter to enter an uncontrollable spin and tumble approximately 300 feet down the hillside.
Aftermath
Following the accident, one worker on the ground sustained a fatal injury from a fragment of flying debris. The helicopter tumbled down the hill, coming to rest at the bottom. The condition of the helicopter and the pilot was not specified in the initial report.