What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft involved in fire fighting activities when it crashed. Public use aircraft. (.4) during support of forest fire fighting operations, the helicopter was conducting water drops and was on it's fifth drop of the flight. While proceeding upslope and down wind, at near maximum gross weight for hover out of ground effect, the helicopter began to settle. The pilot attempted to jettison the water load and reverse course. Jettisoning was unsuccessful and the helicopter settled into trees in the fire zone. The pilot sustained minor injuries and the helicopter sustained substantial damage from impact and post impact fire. During transport to storage by another helicopter, using a long line, the accident aircraft was dropped from approximately 700 feet, resulting in total destruction of the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT INVOLVED IN FIRE FIGHTING ACTIVITIES WHEN IT CRASHED. PUBLIC USE AIRCRAFT. (.4) DURING SUPPORT OF FOREST FIRE FIGHTING OPERATIONS, THE HELICOPTER WAS CONDUCTING WATER DROPS AND WAS ON IT'S FIFTH DROP OF THE FLIGHT. WHILE PROCEEDING UPSLOPE AND DOWN WIND, AT NEAR MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT FOR HOVER OUT OF GROUND EFFECT, THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO SETTLE. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO JETTISON THE WATER LOAD AND REVERSE COURSE. JETTISONING WAS UNSUCCESSFUL AND THE HELICOPTER SETTLED INTO TREES IN THE FIRE ZONE. THE PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FROM IMPACT AND POST IMPACT FIRE. DURING TRANSPORT TO STORAGE BY ANOTHER HELICOPTER, USING A LONG LINE, THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS DROPPED FROM APPROXIMATELY 700 FEET, RESULTING IN TOTAL DESTRUCTION OF THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N91AL · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.