What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On August 30, 2002, at 1006 hours pacific daylight time, a Sikorsky S-55T, N747A, collided with terrain while attempting a precautionary landing in a dry Creek bed in Lytle Creek, California. The helicopter sustained substantial damage and the commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The U.S. Forest service was operating the helicopter as a fire suppression unit under the provisions of 14 CFR part 133. The flight originated from a temporary helipad about 0810. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and it is not known if a flight plan had been filed. The operator reported that the pilot stated that a hydraulic warning light illuminated and the flight controls became stiff. The pilot began an approach to an open area. About 10 feet above the ground, the cyclic flight control moved "hard over" and the pilot was unable to regain control before the rotors made contact with a rocky shelf. Post crash examination of the wreckage by the forest service investigation team did not reveal evidence of ruptured hydraulic lines. They took a sample of hydraulic fluid from the reservoir and stated that it appeared to be severely contaminated. The fluid will be sent to a laboratory for testing. (-23) aircraft was flying water drops on fire near Lytle Creek when pilot had difficulty releasing the water load. As aircraft was near the end of it's fuel cycle, pilot elected to return to helibase and repair water bucket. As aircraft neared landing area, problems with flight control hydraulic boost occurred with aircraft within about 10 feet of the ground. Aircraft pitched over on it's right side. Aircraft was severely damaged. Pilot was unhurt.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON AUGUST 30, 2002, AT 1006 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A SIKORSKY S-55T, N747A, COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN WHILE ATTEMPTING A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING IN A DRY CREEK BED IN LYTLE CREEK, CALIFORNIA. THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE WAS OPERATING THE HELICOPTER AS A FIRE SUPPRESSION UNIT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 133. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM A TEMPORARY HELIPAD ABOUT 0810. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND IT IS NOT KNOWN IF A FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE OPERATOR REPORTED THAT THE PILOT STATED THAT A HYDRAULIC WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE FLIGHT CONTROLS BECAME STIFF. THE PILOT BEGAN AN APPROACH TO AN OPEN AREA. ABOUT 10 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE CYCLIC FLIGHT CONTROL MOVED "HARD OVER" AND THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL BEFORE THE ROTORS MADE CONTACT WITH A ROCKY SHELF. POST CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE BY THE FOREST SERVICE INVESTIGATION TEAM DID NOT REVEAL EVIDENCE OF RUPTURED HYDRAULIC LINES. THEY TOOK A SAMPLE OF HYDRAULIC FLUID FROM THE RESERVOIR AND STATED THAT IT APPEARED TO BE SEVERELY CONTAMINATED. THE FLUID WILL BE SENT TO A LABORATORY FOR TESTING. (-23) AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING WATER DROPS ON FIRE NEAR LYTLE CREEK WHEN PILOT HAD DIFFICULTY RELEASING THE WATER LOAD. AS AIRCRAFT WAS NEAR THE END OF IT'S FUEL CYCLE, PILOT ELECTED TO RETURN TO HELIBASE AND REPAIR WATER BUCKET. AS AIRCRAFT NEARED LANDING AREA, PROBLEMS WITH FLIGHT CONTROL HYDRAULIC BOOST OCCURRED WITH AIRCRAFT WITHIN ABOUT 10 FEET OF THE GROUND. AIRCRAFT PITCHED OVER ON IT'S RIGHT SIDE. AIRCRAFT WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED. PILOT WAS UNHURT.
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 N747A · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.