What happened
On March 24, 2013, a Eurocopter AS350B3 helicopter, registration N353DL, was operating at a remote drill site near Stevens Village, Alaska, to support a seismic drilling operation. After completing a long-line move of a seismic drill, the pilot landed the high-skid aircraft in a clear area.
Before reducing power to flight idle and engaging the flight control locks, the pilot opened the right-side door. While keeping his right hand on the cyclic, the pilot leaned out of the cockpit to check that the tail rotor was clear of obstacles. During this process, the pilot inadvertently moved the cyclic to the right, causing the helicopter to roll onto its right skid. Although the pilot immediately applied left cyclic, the main rotor blades struck the snow. The accident resulted in no injuries, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, tail boom, and rotor system.
Findings
The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies prior to the accident that would have prevented normal operation. The pilot also noted that the accident could have been prevented if the collective lock had been used before performing tasks outside the cockpit.