Incident Details
A commercial helicopter was operating in mountainous terrain at an elevation of about 13,000 ft. The aircraft was transporting a cameraman who was filming a hiker. The pilot reported that wind conditions were from 280 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 25 knots.
Sequence of Events
After turning downwind, the helicopter began an uncommanded right yaw. The pilot stated that applying full left pedal failed to stop the turn. Subsequently, the pilot attempted to land. The helicopter touched down while still in a right yaw, causing the skids to collapse. Following the skid collapse, the main rotor struck the ground.
Damage
The tail rotor and both gear boxes were damaged as a result of the incident.