What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23)The pilot stated that after the first flight to spray chemicals for mosquitos, the flight returned after he recognized that two of the spray nozzles were pluged. Wihtout securing the engine, the pluged nozzles were replaced and the flight departed to again spray chemicals. While flying about 200-250 feet above ground level (AGL) at an indicated air speed of 30-40 knots, with a 10-15 knot wind from the southeast, he began a left turn to line up to spray swath. The helicopter yawed 20-30 degrees to the right which could not be corrected with full anti-torque pedal input. He lowered the collective in an attempt to recover but with insufficient altitude, the helicopter collided with trees then the ground. He further stated that there was no engine or flight control malfunction and he encountered "loss of tail rotor control". (.19)on April 12, 2001, about 1945 central daylight time, a bell OH-58C, N91335, registered to and operated by beach mosquito control district, crashed shortly after takeoff from the beach mosquito control district heliport, Panama City, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed at t he the time and no flight plan was filed for the public-use flight. The helicopter was substantially damaged and the commercial-rated pilot, the sole occupant, sustained minor injuries. The flight originated about 5 minutes earlier. The pilot stated that after the first flight to spray chemical for mosquitos, the flight returned after he recognized that two of the spray nozzles were plugged. Without securing the engine, the plugged nozzles were replaced and the flight departed to again spray chemical. While flying about 200-250 feet above ground level (AGL) at an indicated airspeed of 30-40 knots, with a 10-15 knot wind from the southeast, he began a left turn to line up for his spray swath. The helicopter yawed 20-30 degrees to the right which could not be corrected with full left anti-torque pedal input. He lowered the collective in an attempt to recover but with insuifficient altitude, the helicopter collided with trees then the ground. He further stated that there was no engine or flight control malfunction and he encountered "loss of tail rotor effectiveness." (.4) on April 12, 2001, about 2010 central daylight time, a bell OH-58C, N91335, registered to and operated by beach mosquito control district, crashed shortly after takeoff from the beach mosquito control district heliport, Panama City, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the public-use flight. The helicopter was substantially damaged and the commercial-rated pilot, the sole occupant, sustained minor injuries. The flight originated about 5 minutes earlier. The pilot stated that the first flight departed at 1915, to spray chemical for mosquitoes but returned due to plugged spray nozzles that he noted midpoint of the second spray pass. Without securing the engine, the plugged nozzles were replaced and the flight departed to again spray chemical. After takeoff while flying about 200-250 feet above ground level (AGL) at an indicated airspeed of 30-40 knots, with a 10-15 knot wind from the southeast, he began a left turn to line up for his spray swath. The helicopter yawed 20-30 degrees to the right which could not be corrected with full left anti-torque pedal input. He lowered the collective in an attempt to recover but with insufficient altitude, the helicopter collided with trees then the ground. He further stated that there was no engine or flight control malfunction and the right yaw is a characteristic of "loss of tail rotor effectiveness."
As the FAA filed it
(-23)THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER THE FIRST FLIGHT TO SPRAY CHEMICALS FOR MOSQUITOS, THE FLIGHT RETURNED AFTER HE RECOGNIZED THAT TWO OF THE SPRAY NOZZLES WERE PLUGED. WIHTOUT SECURING THE ENGINE, THE PLUGED NOZZLES WERE REPLACED AND THE FLIGHT DEPARTED TO AGAIN SPRAY CHEMICALS. WHILE FLYING ABOUT 200-250 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) AT AN INDICATED AIR SPEED OF 30-40 KNOTS, WITH A 10-15 KNOT WIND FROM THE SOUTHEAST, HE BEGAN A LEFT TURN TO LINE UP TO SPRAY SWATH. THE HELICOPTER YAWED 20-30 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT WHICH COULD NOT BE CORRECTED WITH FULL ANTI-TORQUE PEDAL INPUT. HE LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE IN AN ATTEMPT TO RECOVER BUT WITH INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE, THE HELICOPTER COLLIDED WITH TREES THEN THE GROUND. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO ENGINE OR FLIGHT CONTROL MALFUNCTION AND HE ENCOUNTERED "LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR CONTROL". (.19)ON APRIL 12, 2001, ABOUT 1945 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL OH-58C, N91335, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY BEACH MOSQUITO CONTROL DISTRICT, CRASHED SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THE BEACH MOSQUITO CONTROL DISTRICT HELIPORT, PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (VMC) PREVAILED AT T HE THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PUBLIC-USE FLIGHT. THE HELICOPTER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE COMMERCIAL-RATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 5 MINUTES EARLIER. THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER THE FIRST FLIGHT TO SPRAY CHEMICAL FOR MOSQUITOS, THE FLIGHT RETURNED AFTER HE RECOGNIZED THAT TWO OF THE SPRAY NOZZLES WERE PLUGGED. WITHOUT SECURING THE ENGINE, THE PLUGGED NOZZLES WERE REPLACED AND THE FLIGHT DEPARTED TO AGAIN SPRAY CHEMICAL. WHILE FLYING ABOUT 200-250 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) AT AN INDICATED AIRSPEED OF 30-40 KNOTS, WITH A 10-15 KNOT WIND FROM THE SOUTHEAST, HE BEGAN A LEFT TURN TO LINE UP FOR HIS SPRAY SWATH. THE HELICOPTER YAWED 20-30 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT WHICH COULD NOT BE CORRECTED WITH FULL LEFT ANTI-TORQUE PEDAL INPUT. HE LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE IN AN ATTEMPT TO RECOVER BUT WITH INSUIFFICIENT ALTITUDE, THE HELICOPTER COLLIDED WITH TREES THEN THE GROUND. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO ENGINE OR FLIGHT CONTROL MALFUNCTION AND HE ENCOUNTERED "LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR EFFECTIVENESS." (.4) ON APRIL 12, 2001, ABOUT 2010 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL OH-58C, N91335, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY BEACH MOSQUITO CONTROL DISTRICT, CRASHED SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THE BEACH MOSQUITO CONTROL DISTRICT HELIPORT, PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (VMC) PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PUBLIC-USE FLIGHT. THE HELICOPTER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE COMMERCIAL-RATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 5 MINUTES EARLIER. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE FIRST FLIGHT DEPARTED AT 1915, TO SPRAY CHEMICAL FOR MOSQUITOES BUT RETURNED DUE TO PLUGGED SPRAY NOZZLES THAT HE NOTED MIDPOINT OF THE SECOND SPRAY PASS. WITHOUT SECURING THE ENGINE, THE PLUGGED NOZZLES WERE REPLACED AND THE FLIGHT DEPARTED TO AGAIN SPRAY CHEMICAL. AFTER TAKEOFF WHILE FLYING ABOUT 200-250 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) AT AN INDICATED AIRSPEED OF 30-40 KNOTS, WITH A 10-15 KNOT WIND FROM THE SOUTHEAST, HE BEGAN A LEFT TURN TO LINE UP FOR HIS SPRAY SWATH. THE HELICOPTER YAWED 20-30 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT WHICH COULD NOT BE CORRECTED WITH FULL LEFT ANTI-TORQUE PEDAL INPUT. HE LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE IN AN ATTEMPT TO RECOVER BUT WITH INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE, THE HELICOPTER COLLIDED WITH TREES THEN THE GROUND. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO ENGINE OR FLIGHT CONTROL MALFUNCTION AND THE RIGHT YAW IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF "LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR EFFECTIVENESS."
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.