What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot reported collective and cyclic problems after picking up sling load. Lost control. No anomalies found. (.4) the helicopter impacted in a marshy area at a high rate of descent with very low forward speed approximately 100 feet west of his water pick up point. He helicopter was performing sling load operations transporting water in a 100 gallon bambi bucket suspended by a 100 foot long line. There were no reported eyewitnesses to the accident. A ground impression corresponding to the water bucket was found approximately 200 feet to the west of the resting place of the main wreckage. The 3 to 5 foot tall grass on the southern portion of the hole made by the water bucket was found pushed or laid back in a southerly direction. Deep impressions corresponding to the steel cable being utilized in conjuction with the external load were found aft of the toe for the left skid tube, at the attaching point where it attaches to the crosstube. No similar impressions were found on the other skid or crosstube assemblies. No evidence of pre-impact mechanical failure or malfunction was found within the helicopter or related components. The commercial pilot had accumulated a total of 4 hours operating with a 100 foot sling. (-23) see narrative # FTW97LA364
As the FAA filed it
PILOT REPORTED COLLECTIVE AND CYCLIC PROBLEMS AFTER PICKING UP SLING LOAD. LOST CONTROL. NO ANOMALIES FOUND. (.4) THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED IN A MARSHY AREA AT A HIGH RATE OF DESCENT WITH VERY LOW FORWARD SPEED APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET WEST OF HIS WATER PICK UP POINT. HE HELICOPTER WAS PERFORMING SLING LOAD OPERATIONS TRANSPORTING WATER IN A 100 GALLON BAMBI BUCKET SUSPENDED BY A 100 FOOT LONG LINE. THERE WERE NO REPORTED EYEWITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT. A GROUND IMPRESSION CORRESPONDING TO THE WATER BUCKET WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET TO THE WEST OF THE RESTING PLACE OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE 3 TO 5 FOOT TALL GRASS ON THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE HOLE MADE BY THE WATER BUCKET WAS FOUND PUSHED OR LAID BACK IN A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION. DEEP IMPRESSIONS CORRESPONDING TO THE STEEL CABLE BEING UTILIZED IN CONJUCTION WITH THE EXTERNAL LOAD WERE FOUND AFT OF THE TOE FOR THE LEFT SKID TUBE, AT THE ATTACHING POINT WHERE IT ATTACHES TO THE CROSSTUBE. NO SIMILAR IMPRESSIONS WERE FOUND ON THE OTHER SKID OR CROSSTUBE ASSEMBLIES. NO EVIDENCE OF PRE-IMPACT MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND WITHIN THE HELICOPTER OR RELATED COMPONENTS. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT HAD ACCUMULATED A TOTAL OF 4 HOURS OPERATING WITH A 100 FOOT SLING. (-23) SEE NARRATIVE # FTW97LA364
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.