Before you all get carried away, all that I can report ATM is that the machine made a precautionary landing following a LTE which involved a loss of height of about 1600 - 1700 feet. The pilot made the right decision to land, and a check was made of the aircraft by a LAME, who was unsure of tolerances on the blade surfaces.
Following a road recovery (what would you have done, Graeme?) the helicopter has been given a clean bill of health, and was only on the ground for a day and a half, awaiting confirmation from Robinson Helicopters. It was flown Tuesday, the incident was on Sunday. The ripples on the blades are normal, and well within the manufacturer's tolerances: we would rather have checked and been safe, than taken a chance and been sorry.
There are quite a few pilots around who have encountered LTE, and all have told me that it is sudden and viscious: those who have recovered owe a lot to luck and skill, regardless of their experience level
