What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot was heading north at two feet above corn stalks at 30 KTS, and started a cyclic climb to gain altitude, looking for wires aligned at north end of field running east and west. About 30-45 degrees into a right pedal turn, the pilot saw wires at eye level and stopped the pedal turn, applying right forward cyclic. He felt a slight cyclic shudder and the aircraft began to sink. He applied forward cyclic and additional throttle to gain speed and minimize the descent rate. As the aircraft approached the ground, the pilot applied aft cyclic to bring the nose up and pumped the collective to stop the descent. Shortly thereafter, the right skid apparently made ground (or corn) contact sufficient to cause the nose of the aircraft to veer right as the aircraft pitched forward and to the right, coming to rest on its left side.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT WAS HEADING NORTH AT TWO FEET ABOVE CORN STALKS AT 30 KTS, AND STARTED A CYCLIC CLIMB TO GAIN ALTITUDE, LOOKING FOR WIRES ALIGNED AT NORTH END OF FIELD RUNNING EAST AND WEST. ABOUT 30-45 DEGREES INTO A RIGHT PEDAL TURN, THE PILOT SAW WIRES AT EYE LEVEL AND STOPPED THE PEDAL TURN, APPLYING RIGHT FORWARD CYCLIC. HE FELT A SLIGHT CYCLIC SHUDDER AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO SINK. HE APPLIED FORWARD CYCLIC AND ADDITIONAL THROTTLE TO GAIN SPEED AND MINIMIZE THE DESCENT RATE. AS THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED THE GROUND, THE PILOT APPLIED AFT CYCLIC TO BRING THE NOSE UP AND PUMPED THE COLLECTIVE TO STOP THE DESCENT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE RIGHT SKID APPARENTLY MADE GROUND (OR CORN) CONTACT SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT TO VEER RIGHT AS THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED FORWARD AND TO THE RIGHT, COMING TO REST ON ITS LEFT 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.