What happened
During an early morning hunting trip, a helicopter was engaged in retrieving a shot deer from a riverbed. While the pilot was performing the retrieval, a sudden gust of wind pushed the aircraft toward nearby vegetation. During this maneuver, the main rotor blades struck an unseen overhanging tree branch. The impact caused the aircraft to descend onto a rocky area below. During the descent, the pilot fell from the helicopter. The pilot sustained serious injuries and passed away before emergency responders could reach the location.
The investigation
Search teams were able to pinpoint the wreckage by midday, aided by transmissions from the aircraft's Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT). The investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the rotor strike and the circumstances surrounding the pilot's fall from the cabin. While the physical cause of the crash was identified, investigators were unable to determine a definitive reason why the pilot fell from the aircraft during the impact and descent.