Incident Overview
A helicopter was damaged during a hot refueling operation at a location near Bryce Canyon, Utah. The pilot had landed next to a refueling truck and conducted the refueling. After refueling, the pilot exited the helicopter to assist the ground refueler with the hose. As the pilot moved away, he heard an abnormal noise and the helicopter began to vibrate. He returned to the cockpit to neutralize the flight controls. The helicopter then bounced, knocking the pilot down as he grabbed the controls. The main rotor dipped and struck the refueling truck, damaging the helicopter's main rotor blades, tail boom, and the truck's cab. The pilot got up and shut down the helicopter.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that a gust of wind caused the helicopter's rotor blade to dip and strike the truck.
Examination
An examination of the helicopter revealed no mechanical anomalies or pre-existing issues.
Weather Conditions
Approximately 23 minutes after the accident, the Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR) for Bryce Canyon, Utah (BCE), located 28 nautical miles from the accident scene at a bearing of 075 degrees, reported wind from 210 degrees at 19 knots with gusts to 27 knots. Approximately 34 minutes prior to the accident, a METAR from the same station recorded a peak wind of 180 degrees at 30 knots.