Incident Overview
A helicopter experienced a tail rotor strike during a confined landing at a remote mountain location. The pilot was transporting two surveyors up the side of a mountain canyon's southern slope. After dropping the surveyors off at a small saddle on a ridge, the pilot departed to locate the next landing site further upslope.
Sequence of Events
Upon finding a rocky outcropping that appeared suitable for landing, the pilot made one approach but deemed the location unacceptable due to uneven terrain. The pilot then hovered the helicopter to another site a few yards away and began the landing procedure. During the landing, the tail rotor made contact with a small rock outcropping.
Pilot Response
Feeling the contact, the pilot promptly initiated an autorotative landing from a hover, which was completed successfully. No further details regarding the condition of the helicopter or injuries were provided in the source.