What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Landed on trailor to refuel. On takeoff lsot power settled rolled into canal. Exhaust diffuser blade section broke. (.19) engine surge on left off dolly. Crashed on bank of canal. Backed away from loading area. Stopped partly in canal. (.4) on liftoff from the trailer-mounted helipad, the agricultural spray helicopter experienced engine surging, followed shortly by a complete engine failure, resulting in collision with the bank of an irrigation canal. Subsequent teardown examination of the turbine engine revealed initial failure to be high temperature tensile overload failure, (a combination of temperature and rotational speed) of one or more of the power turbine blades. The lift-off weight of the helicopter was about 169 pounds over the certificated maximum lift-off gross weight. (-23) pilot stated that he completed spraying groves and landed on trailor to refuel and take on rinse water. He started that engine and lifted 3 to 4 feet when engine began to lose power. The helicopter began to settle when it regained power. Pilot attempted to back the helicopter off the trailer and flew a short distance, when the helicopter again lost power and settled in a small clearing in the grove. The engine regained power and the pilot cleared the trees and attempted to land by a canal, but the engine lost power and the helicopter came down against a bank resting on its left side.
As the FAA filed it
LANDED ON TRAILOR TO REFUEL. ON TAKEOFF LSOT POWER SETTLED ROLLED INTO CANAL. EXHAUST DIFFUSER BLADE SECTION BROKE. (.19) ENGINE SURGE ON LEFT OFF DOLLY. CRASHED ON BANK OF CANAL. BACKED AWAY FROM LOADING AREA. STOPPED PARTLY IN CANAL. (.4) ON LIFTOFF FROM THE TRAILER-MOUNTED HELIPAD, THE AGRICULTURAL SPRAY HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED ENGINE SURGING, FOLLOWED SHORTLY BY A COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE, RESULTING IN COLLISION WITH THE BANK OF AN IRRIGATION CANAL. SUBSEQUENT TEARDOWN EXAMINATION OF THE TURBINE ENGINE REVEALED INITIAL FAILURE TO BE HIGH TEMPERATURE TENSILE OVERLOAD FAILURE, (A COMBINATION OF TEMPERATURE AND ROTATIONAL SPEED) OF ONE OR MORE OF THE POWER TURBINE BLADES. THE LIFT-OFF WEIGHT OF THE HELICOPTER WAS ABOUT 169 POUNDS OVER THE CERTIFICATED MAXIMUM LIFT-OFF GROSS WEIGHT. (-23) PILOT STATED THAT HE COMPLETED SPRAYING GROVES AND LANDED ON TRAILOR TO REFUEL AND TAKE ON RINSE WATER. HE STARTED THAT ENGINE AND LIFTED 3 TO 4 FEET WHEN ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO SETTLE WHEN IT REGAINED POWER. PILOT ATTEMPTED TO BACK THE HELICOPTER OFF THE TRAILER AND FLEW A SHORT DISTANCE, WHEN THE HELICOPTER AGAIN LOST POWER AND SETTLED IN A SMALL CLEARING IN THE GROVE. THE ENGINE REGAINED POWER AND THE PILOT CLEARED THE TREES AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND BY A CANAL, BUT THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND THE HELICOPTER CAME DOWN AGAINST A BANK RESTING ON ITS LEFT SIDE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.