From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) While returning from an agricultural air application operation, the pilot approached the truck landing pad heavier than usual due to 25 gallons of spray mix still in the hopper. Approach to landing was also accomplished with a slight tailwind due to a last minute wind switch. The helicopter started to settle and experienced main rotor decay despite forward cyclic and full power. The helicopter contacted the truck pad with the landing skids not FAR enough forward to support the full weight of the helicopter. The skids were about half way onto the pad when it started to fall backwards, rolling to the right as it did so.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) WHILE RETURNING FROM AN AGRICULTURAL AIR APPLICATION OPERATION, THE PILOT APPROACHED THE TRUCK LANDING PAD HEAVIER THAN USUAL DUE TO 25 GALLONS OF SPRAY MIX STILL IN THE HOPPER. APPROACH TO LANDING WAS ALSO ACCOMPLISHED WITH A SLIGHT TAILWIND DUE TO A LAST MINUTE WIND SWITCH. THE HELICOPTER STARTED TO SETTLE AND EXPERIENCED MAIN ROTOR DECAY DESPITE FORWARD CYCLIC AND FULL POWER. THE HELICOPTER CONTACTED THE TRUCK PAD WITH THE LANDING SKIDS NOT FAR ENOUGH FORWARD TO SUPPORT THE FULL WEIGHT OF THE HELICOPTER. THE SKIDS WERE ABOUT HALF WAY ONTO THE PAD WHEN IT STARTED TO FALL BACKWARDS, ROLLING TO THE RIGHT AS IT DID SO.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.