Incident Overview
The pilot was performing an off-site landing while operating a helicopter with a long-line attached. During the landing, the long-line became entangled in brush on the ground. Subsequently, the line became entangled around the tail rotor drive shaft.
Sequence of Events
As the line wrapped around the tail rotor drive shaft, the shaft failed. The pilot then performed an autorotation to manage the emergency descent. During the autorotation, the helicopter impacted equipment that was present on the ground.
Damage Assessment
The impact during the landing sequence resulted in structural damage to the helicopter. Specifically, the tail boom and horizontal stabilizer were bent, and the bottom of the helicopter's fuselage was penetrated.
Investigation Findings
The investigation identified that the long-line's entanglement initiated the sequence of events leading to the tail rotor drive shaft failure and subsequent forced landing. No additional causal factors were noted in the source material.