Incident Summary
A commercial certificated helicopter pilot was performing a VFR public use government flight to track caribou. The pilot was maneuvering the helicopter to move radio-collared caribou out of a wooded area. Before starting the maneuvering, he reported conducting an out-of-ground-effect hover power check and was satisfied with the available power.
Sequence of Events
The pilot initiated an out-of-ground-effect hover near several caribou. When he raised the collective control to move from the hover position, the low rotor annunciator activated. He stated that insufficient power was available to climb away, and the helicopter began to settle toward the ground. One of the landing gear skids contacted low bushes, after which the pilot was able to regain sufficient rotor RPM to proceed to a nearby landing area.
Post-Landing Inspection
After landing, the pilot discovered that one main rotor blade had a tear in its bottom surface, and the other main rotor blade had several dents. He determined the helicopter was not flyable. The pilot reported that he did not feel any contact between the rotor and trees during the incident.