What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Collided with ground during ag ops. Fuel pump inop. Fuel starvation. Tail rotor hit, then nose hit a stump. (-23) aircraft was reportedly applying chemicals when engine quit. At the accident scene no fuel odor or fuel leakage was observed and the left fuel boost circuit breaker was out. Found that the left fuel boost pump was written up in logbook as inoperative. After aircraft was recovered from site a visual inspection revealed the fuel cells intact with 1/4" of fuel in right tank and about 4" of fuel in left tank. The aircraft operators manual states that if the left fuel boost pump is inoperative there is approximately 55 pounds of unusable fuel in the left fuel tank.
As the FAA filed it
COLLIDED WITH GROUND DURING AG OPS. FUEL PUMP INOP. FUEL STARVATION. TAIL ROTOR HIT, THEN NOSE HIT A STUMP. (-23) AIRCRAFT WAS REPORTEDLY APPLYING CHEMICALS WHEN ENGINE QUIT. AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE NO FUEL ODOR OR FUEL LEAKAGE WAS OBSERVED AND THE LEFT FUEL BOOST CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS OUT. FOUND THAT THE LEFT FUEL BOOST PUMP WAS WRITTEN UP IN LOGBOOK AS INOPERATIVE. AFTER AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED FROM SITE A VISUAL INSPECTION REVEALED THE FUEL CELLS INTACT WITH 1/4" OF FUEL IN RIGHT TANK AND ABOUT 4" OF FUEL IN LEFT TANK. THE AIRCRAFT OPERATORS MANUAL STATES THAT IF THE LEFT FUEL BOOST PUMP IS INOPERATIVE THERE IS APPROXIMATELY 55 POUNDS OF UNUSABLE FUEL IN THE LEFT FUEL TANK.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.