HELI PLT RPTED FOREIGN OBJECT DAMAGE STRIKE ON THE ACFT TAIL ROTOR AND MAIN ROTOR DAMAGING THE ACFT.

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WE ARE ALWAYS TAUGHT THAT MOST; IF NOT ALL; ACCIDENTS/INCIDENTS ARE A DIRECT RESULT OF A CHAIN OF EVENTS. RECENTLY; I JEOPARDIZED MY CREW'S SAFETY AND DAMAGED A PERFECTLY GOOD ACFT WHEN I LET MY LACK OF ATTN TO DETAIL CAUSE A CHAIN OF EVENTS TO DEVELOP. I ARRIVED AT THE HANGAR AT XA40 TO START MY SHIFT AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER BEGAN PREFLTING THE ACFT. THE PLAN FOR THE DAY WAS TO DEPART AT XA45 AND FLY TO OUR DEST AND BE GND TRANSPORTED TO ATTEND CRM TRAINING. ABOUT 10 MINS AFTER BEGINNING MY PREFLT; THE BASE SITE MECH CAME OUT TO THE ACFT AND BEGAN HIS DAILY CHKS OF THE HELI. AT THIS POINT I HAD CHKED THE TAIL ROTOR; CHKED THE CAN; SIGNED OFF THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE; DONE THE COCKPIT/LIGHTS CHK; AND REPLACED THE ACFT PUBS. SINCE I WANTED TO CHK THE ACFT AFTER THE MECH COMPLETED HIS CHKS; I DECIDED TO WASH THE TAILBOOM; SINCE IT WOULD BE SITTING BY OUR PARENT HOSPITAL MOST OF THE DAY. THESE WERE THE 1ST AND 2ND LINKS IN THE CHAIN. NORMALLY; I AM DONE PREFLTING BEFORE THE MECH STARTS HIS DAILY CHKS. ADDITIONALLY; I WOULDN'T NORMALLY BE WASHING THE ACFT WHILE THE MECH IS DOING HIS DAILY. I HAD IMPOSED AN XA40 TKOF TIME ON MYSELF SO WE WOULDN'T BE 'LATE.' I DOUBT ANYBODY WOULD HAVE SAID ANYTHING IF WE WOULD HAVE SHOWN UP LATE WITH A DIRTY TAILBOOM. ONCE THE MECH COMPLETED HIS DAILY CHK; WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE TAILBOOM; WE SWITCHED POS AND I FINISHED MY PREFLT. SINCE THE MECH WAS NOW RINSING THE TAILBOOM; I WAITED UNTIL THE END OF MY PREFLT TO CHK THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVESHAFT. THIS WAS THE 3RD LINK IN THE CHAIN. NEVER JUMP AROUND WHILE PERFORMING A PREFLT AND ALWAYS STICK TO YOUR ROUTINE. MY NORMAL ROUTINE CONSISTED OF CARRYING THE LADDER AND FLASHLIGHT FROM THE R SIDE TO THE L SIDE AND THEN GOING BACK AND CHKING THE TAILBOOM. I DIDN'T FOLLOW MY NORMAL ROUTINE. WHILE OPENING AND CHKING THE DRIVESHAFT COVER; I PLACED THE BLUE ACFT FLASHLIGHT ON THE L SIDE OF THE TAILBOOM ON THE V SHAPED 'STRAKE.' SINCE THIS WAS MY LAST ITEM TO PREFLT AND THE CLOCK WAS QUICKLY APCHING XA40; I CLOSED THE DRIVESHAFT COVER; TURNED IMMEDIATELY AROUND; PICKED UP THE LADDER AND CREEPER AND PROCEEDED INSIDE TO STORE THEM IN THE HANGAR. I LEFT THE ACFT FLASHLIGHT ON THE STRAKE. THIS WAS THE 5TH LINK. AFTER A QUICK CREW BRIEF; WE HEADED TO THE ACFT FOR OUR DEP. I PERFORMED WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A THOROUGH WALKAROUND THAT; IN RETROSPECT; FOCUSED ENTIRELY TOO MUCH ON ENSURING ALL THE LATCHES WERE LATCHED. THE FLASHLIGHT SAT IN THE 'V' OF THE STRAKE AND WAS OBSCURED DURING MY WALKAROUND. THIS WAS THE 6TH LINK IN THE CHAIN. I ALWAYS PRIDED MYSELF ON DOING A THOROUGH WALKAROUND BUT IN ADDITION TO COWLINGS AND DOORS COMING OPEN INFLT; FOREIGN OBJECT DAMAGE CAN BE JUST AS DEADLY. DO NOT RUSH YOURSELF. THE PRECEDING CHAIN OF EVENTS LED TO A MAGNETIC FLASHLIGHT HITTING THE TAIL ROTOR AND A MAIN ROTOR BLADE. EVEN THOUGH THE PRECAUTIONARY LNDG AND SHUTDOWN WERE UNEVENTFUL; THE END RESULT COULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT. WHAT IF I WOULD HAVE LOST MY TAIL ROTOR? THE TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX? MY INATTENTION TO DETAIL COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A TRAGIC EVENT FOR MY FAMILY AND THE FAMILY MEMBERS OF THE CREW MEMBERS WHO RELY ON ME TO BRING THEM HOME SAFELY EACH DAY. LUCKILY; THE ONLY DAMAGE IS TO THE ACFT AND MY PROGRAM'S REPUTATION. THE NEXT TIME IT HAPPENS TO A PLT IT MAY NOT BE A FLASHLIGHT BUT IT COULD BE A SCREWDRIVER; FUEL CAP; OR OTHER OBJECT. I NEVER THOUGHT IT WOULD HAPPEN TO ME.