What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Low flying for coyote survey encountered dwondraft unalbe to recover struck terrain. (.4)the helicopter was being used in the federal government's predator control program. The pilot said he and his passenger were flying north and entered a draw. The prey they were chasing (a coyote) turned east and they flew over it at low airspeed and altitude. The pilot was having 'trouble maintaining rotor RPM.' With higher terrain in front and to his left, he elected to turn east in hopes of exiting the draw to the south. Trees and rough terrain forced him to continue eastward. The pilot found himself below a draw and he pulled collective control. This aggravated the low RPM condition, but the helicopter cleared the rim. On the other side of the rim, the ground sloped down at a 40 degree angle and the pilot tried to stretch his descent towards flatter terrain in an attempt to make a run-on landing. The helicopter impacted the terrain and was substantially damaged. The FAA inspector who went to the scene wrote, 'there is no apparent reason for the helicopter to have lost RPM. Review of the pilot records indicate only 14 hours of flight time in the last 90 days and no training in the last three years, and the last biennial flight review was almost 20 months ago.' (-23) the helicopter was being used to hunt coyotes. While chasing a coyote the pilot flew low level into a small canyon and according to the pilot he lost lift and rotor RPM. He used even more RPM to fly over a ridge to try and land in an open area. He cleared the ridge but the tail rotor guard struck the ground forcing the aircraft to pitch nose down the skids breaking the right skid. The blades hit the ground and tail boom the helicopter turned 90 degrees to the right and the left skid broke. The helicopter was upright/no fire but had substantial damage. No injuries.
As the FAA filed it
LOW FLYING FOR COYOTE SURVEY ENCOUNTERED DWONDRAFT UNALBE TO RECOVER STRUCK TERRAIN. (.4)THE HELICOPTER WAS BEING USED IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S PREDATOR CONTROL PROGRAM. THE PILOT SAID HE AND HIS PASSENGER WERE FLYING NORTH AND ENTERED A DRAW. THE PREY THEY WERE CHASING (A COYOTE) TURNED EAST AND THEY FLEW OVER IT AT LOW AIRSPEED AND ALTITUDE. THE PILOT WAS HAVING 'TROUBLE MAINTAINING ROTOR RPM.' WITH HIGHER TERRAIN IN FRONT AND TO HIS LEFT, HE ELECTED TO TURN EAST IN HOPES OF EXITING THE DRAW TO THE SOUTH. TREES AND ROUGH TERRAIN FORCED HIM TO CONTINUE EASTWARD. THE PILOT FOUND HIMSELF BELOW A DRAW AND HE PULLED COLLECTIVE CONTROL. THIS AGGRAVATED THE LOW RPM CONDITION, BUT THE HELICOPTER CLEARED THE RIM. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIM, THE GROUND SLOPED DOWN AT A 40 DEGREE ANGLE AND THE PILOT TRIED TO STRETCH HIS DESCENT TOWARDS FLATTER TERRAIN IN AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE A RUN-ON LANDING. THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE TERRAIN AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE FAA INSPECTOR WHO WENT TO THE SCENE WROTE, 'THERE IS NO APPARENT REASON FOR THE HELICOPTER TO HAVE LOST RPM. REVIEW OF THE PILOT RECORDS INDICATE ONLY 14 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME IN THE LAST 90 DAYS AND NO TRAINING IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, AND THE LAST BIENNIAL FLIGHT REVIEW WAS ALMOST 20 MONTHS AGO.' (-23) THE HELICOPTER WAS BEING USED TO HUNT COYOTES. WHILE CHASING A COYOTE THE PILOT FLEW LOW LEVEL INTO A SMALL CANYON AND ACCORDING TO THE PILOT HE LOST LIFT AND ROTOR RPM. HE USED EVEN MORE RPM TO FLY OVER A RIDGE TO TRY AND LAND IN AN OPEN AREA. HE CLEARED THE RIDGE BUT THE TAIL ROTOR GUARD STRUCK THE GROUND FORCING THE AIRCRAFT TO PITCH NOSE DOWN THE SKIDS BREAKING THE RIGHT SKID. THE BLADES HIT THE GROUND AND TAIL BOOM THE HELICOPTER TURNED 90 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT AND THE LEFT SKID BROKE. THE HELICOPTER WAS UPRIGHT/NO FIRE BUT HAD SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. NO INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.