What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)The purpose of the flight was to test a portable water source, called the pumpkin, to determine if it was an acceptable means of providing water for bambi bucket operations. The pumpkin is a rubberized circular bag, which stands approximately 3 feet high and is approximately 7-8 feet in diameter. The pilot reported that he noted that the rotor downwash was blowing the top portion of the pumpkin (the portion above the water line) wide open. As the pilot raised the collective to depart, the rotor wash blew the top part of the pumpkin closed, which overlapped and snagged the rear portion of the left skid. The helicopter tilted back and the tail section struck the asphalt. The helicopter spun 180 degrees to the right just as the pilot was about to jettison the bucket. The helicopter impacted the ground on its rear left side. The pilot reported that he had not experienced any abnormal malfunction with the aircraft controls prior to the accident. He further stated that he was not in communication with any of the ground crewmembers at the time of the accident. (-23)while conducting practice water pickup from a portable rubber water co ntainer (appx 10' diameter x 4' deep) with an external load short line (appx 10' length) and bambi bucket, the pilotlost control of the aircraft when the left rear landing gear skid contacted the water tank when attempting to takeoff. This caused the aircraft to roll to the left and crash on its side. A post accident reexamination of the pilot's competency in performing the special operation will be conducted by the public agency involed. Counseling wad administered to the pilot by the FAA investigation inspector.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO TEST A PORTABLE WATER SOURCE, CALLED THE PUMPKIN, TO DETERMINE IF IT WAS AN ACCEPTABLE MEANS OF PROVIDING WATER FOR BAMBI BUCKET OPERATIONS. THE PUMPKIN IS A RUBBERIZED CIRCULAR BAG, WHICH STANDS APPROXIMATELY 3 FEET HIGH AND IS APPROXIMATELY 7-8 FEET IN DIAMETER. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE NOTED THAT THE ROTOR DOWNWASH WAS BLOWING THE TOP PORTION OF THE PUMPKIN (THE PORTION ABOVE THE WATER LINE) WIDE OPEN. AS THE PILOT RAISED THE COLLECTIVE TO DEPART, THE ROTOR WASH BLEW THE TOP PART OF THE PUMPKIN CLOSED, WHICH OVERLAPPED AND SNAGGED THE REAR PORTION OF THE LEFT SKID. THE HELICOPTER TILTED BACK AND THE TAIL SECTION STRUCK THE ASPHALT. THE HELICOPTER SPUN 180 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT JUST AS THE PILOT WAS ABOUT TO JETTISON THE BUCKET. THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE GROUND ON ITS REAR LEFT SIDE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD NOT EXPERIENCED ANY ABNORMAL MALFUNCTION WITH THE AIRCRAFT CONTROLS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE WAS NOT IN COMMUNICATION WITH ANY OF THE GROUND CREWMEMBERS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. (-23)WHILE CONDUCTING PRACTICE WATER PICKUP FROM A PORTABLE RUBBER WATER CO NTAINER (APPX 10' DIAMETER X 4' DEEP) WITH AN EXTERNAL LOAD SHORT LINE (APPX 10' LENGTH) AND BAMBI BUCKET, THE PILOTLOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT WHEN THE LEFT REAR LANDING GEAR SKID CONTACTED THE WATER TANK WHEN ATTEMPTING TO TAKEOFF. THIS CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO ROLL TO THE LEFT AND CRASH ON ITS SIDE. A POST ACCIDENT REEXAMINATION OF THE PILOT'S COMPETENCY IN PERFORMING THE SPECIAL OPERATION WILL BE CONDUCTED BY THE PUBLIC AGENCY INVOLED. COUNSELING WAD ADMINISTERED TO THE PILOT BY THE FAA INVESTIGATION INSPECTOR.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.