What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On July 13, 2001, at 0820 hours pacific daylight time, a Hiller UH-12E, N9281P, landed in soft soil and rolled onto its right side at Blythe, California. The commercial certificated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured; however, the helicopter was substantially damaged. The aerial application flight was operated under 14 CFR part 137 by h&h aerial applicators. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The helicopter was operating from a local helipad near the work site. The pilot told the safety board investigator that, following an application pass, he sensed a decrease in engine power and elected to make a precautionary landing. During the landing in a cotton field on irregular, wet ground, the right skid settled into the soil and the helicopter rolled onto its side. (-23) pilot stated he was spraying defoliant on a field of cotton and was flat and stable during a spraying run when he encountered an abrupt partial loss of power. He initiated a precautionary landing by entering an autorotation maneuver. The pilot estimated the cotton to be about 2 feet tall. The cotton was actually 3 1/2 tall and the autorotation was terminated 12 to 18 inches too soon above the ground. The result was a hard landing from which the right skid slid off a berm and initiated the helicopter into a roll-over on it's right side. Damage was limited to the rotor blades and m/r head paddle assemblies. Subsequent investigation revealed a shorted "p" lead on the right magneto, effectively removing one of the two magnetos from operation. Aircraft does not produce sufficient power with only one operational magneto. (.4) on July 13, 2001, at 0820 hours pacific daylight time, a Hiller UH-12E, N9281P, landed in soft soil and rolled onto its right side at Blythe, California. The commercial certificated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured; however, the helicopter was substantially damaged. The aerial application flight was operated under 14 CFR part 137 by h&h aerial applicators. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The helicopter departed from a local helipad near the work site at 0815. The pilot told the safety board investigator that, following an application pass, he sensed a decrease in engine power and elected to make a precautionary landing. During the landing in a cotton field on irregular, wet ground, the right skid settled into the soil and the helicopter rolled onto its right side. In his report to the safety board, in the section entitled "mechanical malfunction failure" the pilot checked "no."
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON JULY 13, 2001, AT 0820 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A HILLER UH-12E, N9281P, LANDED IN SOFT SOIL AND ROLLED ONTO ITS RIGHT SIDE AT BLYTHE, CALIFORNIA. THE COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED; HOWEVER, THE HELICOPTER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT WAS OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 137 BY H&H AERIAL APPLICATORS. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE HELICOPTER WAS OPERATING FROM A LOCAL HELIPAD NEAR THE WORK SITE. THE PILOT TOLD THE SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR THAT, FOLLOWING AN APPLICATION PASS, HE SENSED A DECREASE IN ENGINE POWER AND ELECTED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. DURING THE LANDING IN A COTTON FIELD ON IRREGULAR, WET GROUND, THE RIGHT SKID SETTLED INTO THE SOIL AND THE HELICOPTER ROLLED ONTO ITS SIDE. (-23) PILOT STATED HE WAS SPRAYING DEFOLIANT ON A FIELD OF COTTON AND WAS FLAT AND STABLE DURING A SPRAYING RUN WHEN HE ENCOUNTERED AN ABRUPT PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER. HE INITIATED A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING BY ENTERING AN AUTOROTATION MANEUVER. THE PILOT ESTIMATED THE COTTON TO BE ABOUT 2 FEET TALL. THE COTTON WAS ACTUALLY 3 1/2 TALL AND THE AUTOROTATION WAS TERMINATED 12 TO 18 INCHES TOO SOON ABOVE THE GROUND. THE RESULT WAS A HARD LANDING FROM WHICH THE RIGHT SKID SLID OFF A BERM AND INITIATED THE HELICOPTER INTO A ROLL-OVER ON IT'S RIGHT SIDE. DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO THE ROTOR BLADES AND M/R HEAD PADDLE ASSEMBLIES. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED A SHORTED "P" LEAD ON THE RIGHT MAGNETO, EFFECTIVELY REMOVING ONE OF THE TWO MAGNETOS FROM OPERATION. AIRCRAFT DOES NOT PRODUCE SUFFICIENT POWER WITH ONLY ONE OPERATIONAL MAGNETO. (.4) ON JULY 13, 2001, AT 0820 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A HILLER UH-12E, N9281P, LANDED IN SOFT SOIL AND ROLLED ONTO ITS RIGHT SIDE AT BLYTHE, CALIFORNIA. THE COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED; HOWEVER, THE HELICOPTER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT WAS OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 137 BY H&H AERIAL APPLICATORS. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE HELICOPTER DEPARTED FROM A LOCAL HELIPAD NEAR THE WORK SITE AT 0815. THE PILOT TOLD THE SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR THAT, FOLLOWING AN APPLICATION PASS, HE SENSED A DECREASE IN ENGINE POWER AND ELECTED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. DURING THE LANDING IN A COTTON FIELD ON IRREGULAR, WET GROUND, THE RIGHT SKID SETTLED INTO THE SOIL AND THE HELICOPTER ROLLED ONTO ITS RIGHT SIDE. IN HIS REPORT TO THE SAFETY BOARD, IN THE SECTION ENTITLED "MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION FAILURE" THE PILOT CHECKED "NO."
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N9281P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.