Helicopter Incident During Takeoff Due to Broken Tie-Down Chain (N144WT)

Incident Summary

A helicopter incident occurred during a takeoff attempt when the aircraft unexpectedly settled hard on the front portion of its left skid. The helicopter came to rest upright on its landing skids without further event.

Sequence of Events

The pilot lifted the helicopter vertically to a hover of about 4 to 5 feet. The pilot then initiated a left pedal turn of approximately 10 degrees. After applying forward cyclic to begin forward flight, the rear portion of the left skid dropped abruptly after traveling only 10 to 15 feet. The pilot immediately applied forward right cyclic to correct the descent. The helicopter began to level at an altitude of about 2 to 3 feet but then settled hard on the front portion of the left skid before coming to rest upright on both skids.

Findings

A broken tie-down chain was discovered attached to the aft portion of the helicopter skid. The pilot reported that he had not attached the tie-down chain to the helicopter prior to the flight.