What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot stated that he had just lifted off from the support truck with a load of chemical and fuel and took off into the wind. He made a wide swing to the east to line up on a swath heading north. When he got almost lined up, he felt the helicopter begin to lose altitude and he pushed the cyclic forward to gain airspeed, but seemed to be in his own rotorwash and kept losing altitude. He then flared to slow his groundspeed before contacting the ground. He then started to slide in the potato field and potato vines caught the spray booms causing the helicopter to nose over and came to rest on its right side.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD JUST LIFTED OFF FROM THE SUPPORT TRUCK WITH A LOAD OF CHEMICAL AND FUEL AND TOOK OFF INTO THE WIND. HE MADE A WIDE SWING TO THE EAST TO LINE UP ON A SWATH HEADING NORTH. WHEN HE GOT ALMOST LINED UP, HE FELT THE HELICOPTER BEGIN TO LOSE ALTITUDE AND HE PUSHED THE CYCLIC FORWARD TO GAIN AIRSPEED, BUT SEEMED TO BE IN HIS OWN ROTORWASH AND KEPT LOSING ALTITUDE. HE THEN FLARED TO SLOW HIS GROUNDSPEED BEFORE CONTACTING THE GROUND. HE THEN STARTED TO SLIDE IN THE POTATO FIELD AND POTATO VINES CAUGHT THE SPRAY BOOMS CAUSING THE HELICOPTER TO NOSE OVER AND CAME TO REST ON ITS RIGHT SIDE.
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 N9080T · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.