What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) After about 1 hour a flight time on the day in question, the pilot was picking up a load of skiers and on climb out a warning horn activated and the flight controls became stiff. The pilot reached up and depressed the push button on the console to extinguish the horn sound and then turned off the hydraulics switch on the collective lever. The pilot then radioed the other aircraft in the area and notified him of the problems. He also asked the other pilot if his actions to the aircraft were correct or not. The second pilot told him it was ok and asked if help was needed. The first pilot said no and told him he was returning to the landing zone next to the highway for a run on landing. The flight back was about 4 miles, the aircraft had been slowed to about 45-55 knots. During the return trip the pilot cycled the shut off button the collective lever. He was experiencing an unusual aft and left cyclic position. The position was extreme. He was struggling against this position. While lining up to the highway the aircraft slowed down, and approached the road. At about 20 knots and 4 feet AGL the aircraft began to climb and turn left. Onboard witness said they observed the pilot grabbing the collective. The aircraft went inverted and turned nose right about 90 degrees. It then impacted the snow on the side of the road, striking a 3-inch spruce tree. It then bounced down a 30-foot embankment and came to rest next to a frozen river still inverted. The passengers exited immediately as ground crews responded to the scene. The pilot was unable to release his seat belt due to snow pack on his chest. Ground crews moved away the snow and the pilot then exited the aircraft. It was determined that the hydraulic belt had failed causing the warning horn (due to premature loss) and stiff controls. The pilot during interview was not really sure of his hydraulic off procedures. The cyclic position problem was caused by the cycling of the collective lever shut off switch. The manufacturers procedures area to extinguish the horn and shut off the hydraulics on by activating the switch on the collective 1 time. All the facts listed above were through interviews and on the scene investigations.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AFTER ABOUT 1 HOUR A FLIGHT TIME ON THE DAY IN QUESTION, THE PILOT WAS PICKING UP A LOAD OF SKIERS AND ON CLIMB OUT A WARNING HORN ACTIVATED AND THE FLIGHT CONTROLS BECAME STIFF. THE PILOT REACHED UP AND DEPRESSED THE PUSH BUTTON ON THE CONSOLE TO EXTINGUISH THE HORN SOUND AND THEN TURNED OFF THE HYDRAULICS SWITCH ON THE COLLECTIVE LEVER. THE PILOT THEN RADIOED THE OTHER AIRCRAFT IN THE AREA AND NOTIFIED HIM OF THE PROBLEMS. HE ALSO ASKED THE OTHER PILOT IF HIS ACTIONS TO THE AIRCRAFT WERE CORRECT OR NOT. THE SECOND PILOT TOLD HIM IT WAS OK AND ASKED IF HELP WAS NEEDED. THE FIRST PILOT SAID NO AND TOLD HIM HE WAS RETURNING TO THE LANDING ZONE NEXT TO THE HIGHWAY FOR A RUN ON LANDING. THE FLIGHT BACK WAS ABOUT 4 MILES, THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN SLOWED TO ABOUT 45-55 KNOTS. DURING THE RETURN TRIP THE PILOT CYCLED THE SHUT OFF BUTTON THE COLLECTIVE LEVER. HE WAS EXPERIENCING AN UNUSUAL AFT AND LEFT CYCLIC POSITION. THE POSITION WAS EXTREME. HE WAS STRUGGLING AGAINST THIS POSITION. WHILE LINING UP TO THE HIGHWAY THE AIRCRAFT SLOWED DOWN, AND APPROACHED THE ROAD. AT ABOUT 20 KNOTS AND 4 FEET AGL THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO CLIMB AND TURN LEFT. ONBOARD WITNESS SAID THEY OBSERVED THE PILOT GRABBING THE COLLECTIVE. THE AIRCRAFT WENT INVERTED AND TURNED NOSE RIGHT ABOUT 90 DEGREES. IT THEN IMPACTED THE SNOW ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, STRIKING A 3-INCH SPRUCE TREE. IT THEN BOUNCED DOWN A 30-FOOT EMBANKMENT AND CAME TO REST NEXT TO A FROZEN RIVER STILL INVERTED. THE PASSENGERS EXITED IMMEDIATELY AS GROUND CREWS RESPONDED TO THE SCENE. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RELEASE HIS SEAT BELT DUE TO SNOW PACK ON HIS CHEST. GROUND CREWS MOVED AWAY THE SNOW AND THE PILOT THEN EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE HYDRAULIC BELT HAD FAILED CAUSING THE WARNING HORN (DUE TO PREMATURE LOSS) AND STIFF CONTROLS. THE PILOT DURING INTERVIEW WAS NOT REALLY SURE OF HIS HYDRAULIC OFF PROCEDURES. THE CYCLIC POSITION PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY THE CYCLING OF THE COLLECTIVE LEVER SHUT OFF SWITCH. THE MANUFACTURERS PROCEDURES AREA TO EXTINGUISH THE HORN AND SHUT OFF THE HYDRAULICS ON BY ACTIVATING THE SWITCH ON THE COLLECTIVE 1 TIME. ALL THE FACTS LISTED ABOVE WERE THROUGH INTERVIEWS AND ON THE SCENE INVESTIGATIONS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.