Incident Overview
Following a test flight conducted after maintenance, the pilot/owner was positioning the helicopter onto a trailer with the tail oriented forward. During this maneuver, the right landing skid slipped off and became hooked on the edge of the landing platform.
Sequence of Events
Despite the application of full forward and left cyclic control inputs, the rotorcraft continued moving backward until the main rotor blades struck the aft portion of the truck.
Post-Accident Examination
The main rotor pitch control rods were removed and sent to the NTSB Materials Laboratory for failure analysis. Examination revealed that the rods possessed tensile strength below specification. However, all damage observed on the rods was consistent with impact damage rather than pre-existing failure.
No other items were reported as damaged or involved. The source does not specify aircraft registration, engine count, date, operator, location, occupants, injuries, or weather conditions.