What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Using external load bucket. Hydraulicontrol valve failed. Caused hard over. Dropped bucket. Settled into trees. (.4) on April 3, 1998, about 0830 central standard time, a Bell UH-1H (205) helicopter, N508DD, registered to precision air services, operating as a title 14 CFR part 133, agricultural flight, impacted with trees during a forced landing near Wewahitchka, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The helicopter was destroyed. The commercial-rated pilot was not injured. The flight had originated at 0800. The pilot was about to start agricultural operations, and had turned on the fertilizer bucket, when he reported that the hydraulic gauges started to "surge." He said the helicopter, "...then took a violent turn to the left...the helicopter jerked for a third time and came back level." He released the fertilizer bucket, and elected to make a forced landing. He stated, "...the control was going left to right, the collective was not reacting properly, so I spooled off the throttle and landed in the trees." Examination of the helicopter's hydraulic system after the accident revealed that impact damage had destroyed the servos and the hydraulic fluid reservoir. No discrepancies were found with the hydraulic system. (-23) while dispensing dap fertilizer from an external load bucket, at a low altitude, an irreversible valve in the hydraulic flight control system failed, causing a cyclic hardover to the left, and momentarily rendering the helicopter uncontrollable. The pilot managed to eject the external load bucket, and level the helicopter before settling into the trees. The pilot evacuated the aircraft, then turned off all power and the engine.
As the FAA filed it
USING EXTERNAL LOAD BUCKET. HYDRAULICONTROL VALVE FAILED. CAUSED HARD OVER. DROPPED BUCKET. SETTLED INTO TREES. (.4) ON APRIL 3, 1998, ABOUT 0830 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A BELL UH-1H (205) HELICOPTER, N508DD, REGISTERED TO PRECISION AIR SERVICES, OPERATING AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 133, AGRICULTURAL FLIGHT, IMPACTED WITH TREES DURING A FORCED LANDING NEAR WEWAHITCHKA, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE HELICOPTER WAS DESTROYED. THE COMMERCIAL-RATED PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT HAD ORIGINATED AT 0800. THE PILOT WAS ABOUT TO START AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS, AND HAD TURNED ON THE FERTILIZER BUCKET, WHEN HE REPORTED THAT THE HYDRAULIC GAUGES STARTED TO "SURGE." HE SAID THE HELICOPTER, "...THEN TOOK A VIOLENT TURN TO THE LEFT...THE HELICOPTER JERKED FOR A THIRD TIME AND CAME BACK LEVEL." HE RELEASED THE FERTILIZER BUCKET, AND ELECTED TO MAKE A FORCED LANDING. HE STATED, "...THE CONTROL WAS GOING LEFT TO RIGHT, THE COLLECTIVE WAS NOT REACTING PROPERLY, SO I SPOOLED OFF THE THROTTLE AND LANDED IN THE TREES." EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER'S HYDRAULIC SYSTEM AFTER THE ACCIDENT REVEALED THAT IMPACT DAMAGE HAD DESTROYED THE SERVOS AND THE HYDRAULIC FLUID RESERVOIR. NO DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND WITH THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM. (-23) WHILE DISPENSING DAP FERTILIZER FROM AN EXTERNAL LOAD BUCKET, AT A LOW ALTITUDE, AN IRREVERSIBLE VALVE IN THE HYDRAULIC FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM FAILED, CAUSING A CYCLIC HARDOVER TO THE LEFT, AND MOMENTARILY RENDERING THE HELICOPTER UNCONTROLLABLE. THE PILOT MANAGED TO EJECT THE EXTERNAL LOAD BUCKET, AND LEVEL THE HELICOPTER BEFORE SETTLING INTO THE TREES. THE PILOT EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT, THEN TURNED OFF ALL POWER AND THE ENGINE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.