Incident Description
According to the pilot's account, the helicopter was in a hover at approximately five feet above the ground when the passenger inadvertently pushed the dual cyclic control stick forward. The pilot stated that before he could take corrective action, the helicopter contacted a slope with an inclination of 15 to 20 degrees. In response, the pilot abruptly moved his cyclic control stick aft. This maneuver caused the tail rotor to strike the ground, and the main rotor blades subsequently struck and severed the tailboom.
The purpose of the flight was to allow the passenger to videotape wildlife through the left door. For this reason, the left door had been removed prior to the flight.
Passenger Statement
The passenger acknowledged that it was possible he had pushed the control stick, but he did not think he had done so. Instead, the passenger believed that the pilot had been looking at the wildlife and inadvertently allowed the helicopter to contact the ground.
Damage
The accident resulted in the tail rotor hitting the ground and the main rotor blades cutting off the tailboom. The extent of additional damage was not specified in the report.