Incident Overview
A helicopter was landing at a private heliport when, after a normal touchdown, the aircraft began to spin. The tail rotor subsequently struck a snow bank, resulting in substantial damage to the tail rotor and the lower vertical stabilizer.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that no malfunctions or failures of the helicopter occurred that would have precluded normal operation. After exiting the helicopter, the pilot observed that the ground was coated with "black ice." The pilot had accumulated about 635 hours of rotorcraft flight experience, including 85 hours in the same make and model as the accident helicopter.
Weather Conditions
The outside air temperature at the time of the incident was approximately -1 degree Celsius. The presence of black ice on the ground was noted by the pilot after the event.
Damage
The tail rotor and lower vertical stabilizer sustained substantial damage as a result of the strike with the snow bank.