Incident Overview
A helicopter collided with a nearby hangar after being momentarily airborne due to a strong gust of wind. The pilot had just landed and was in the process of shutting down the helicopter following a hover-taxi to the normal parking spot.
Sequence of Events
After hover-taxiing to his usual parking area, the pilot landed the helicopter. He then rolled the throttle to flight-idle, applied friction to the collective to hold it down, and initiated the timing for the standard two-minute turbine cool-down. While leaning forward to tighten the friction on the cyclic, the helicopter, whose main rotor was still slowing and retained considerable energy, was struck by a strong gust of wind. The gust caused the helicopter to become momentarily airborne, and it subsequently collided with an adjacent hangar.
Witness Accounts
Witnesses reported that the wind conditions at the airport were gusty and variable, particularly between the hangars. Sudden strong gusts from varying directions were observed, which contributed to the event.
Damage
The helicopter sustained damage from the collision with the hangar. No further details on the extent of damage were provided.
Conclusion
The accident occurred due to a sudden strong gust of wind catching the helicopter while its rotor was still spinning, during parking procedures.