Bell 47G crash near Searchlight, NV, United States

The pilot of a helicopter reported that during a 10 foot hover, he encountered a gust of wind and felt the tail rotor impact a tree. The pilot initiated an autorotation, but the main rotor impacted the tail boom during the descent and the helicopter rolled over after touchdown. The main rotor and tail boom were substantially damaged. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.