What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) After completing application on a field the pilot returned to truck for fuel and chemical for the next corn field. Instead of flying west to the next field to be sprayed, the pilot flew sw and then began a left turning arc eventually heading north, paralleling a n-s road (approx. 1/2 mile from his last takeoff), flying at treetop level above a citrus orchard. After pulling up to clear high line wires running e-w at the edge of the orchard, the helo made a quick left pedal turn to face west, and then another quick left pedal turn to the south, at which time the helo entered a steep nose down attitude and descended rapidly to the ground and crashed.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AFTER COMPLETING APPLICATION ON A FIELD THE PILOT RETURNED TO TRUCK FOR FUEL AND CHEMICAL FOR THE NEXT CORN FIELD. INSTEAD OF FLYING WEST TO THE NEXT FIELD TO BE SPRAYED, THE PILOT FLEW SW AND THEN BEGAN A LEFT TURNING ARC EVENTUALLY HEADING NORTH, PARALLELING A N-S ROAD (APPROX. 1/2 MILE FROM HIS LAST TAKEOFF), FLYING AT TREETOP LEVEL ABOVE A CITRUS ORCHARD. AFTER PULLING UP TO CLEAR HIGH LINE WIRES RUNNING E-W AT THE EDGE OF THE ORCHARD, THE HELO MADE A QUICK LEFT PEDAL TURN TO FACE WEST, AND THEN ANOTHER QUICK LEFT PEDAL TURN TO THE SOUTH, AT WHICH TIME THE HELO ENTERED A STEEP NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AND DESCENDED RAPIDLY TO THE GROUND AND CRASHED.
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 N9017N · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.