What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) During agricultural operations, immediately after taking off from atop of the loader truck, the pilot stated he lost hydraulic pressure to the flight control. The helicopter had not gained adequate forward speed to maintain control and it impacted the ground. The aircraft rolled to the right, and the rotors struck the ground. The aircraft continued on its right hand side. The transition separated from the aircraft and the aircraft rolled up on top of it. The flight crew section did not suffer impact damage. The sole pilot was not injured. There was no property damage, and the aircraft was in current inspection. The hydraulic pump had been replaced 1.3 hour prior to the accident and the pilot made a statement that two takeoffs prior to the accident he had gotten out of the aircraft to investigate an unusual sound but decided to continue flight operations. Two takeoffs later the aircraft suffered a hydraulic failure. The hydraulic system was intact except for the pump. When the transmission separated from the aircraft, it pulled the pump apart. It will be impossible to examine the pump to determine if an internal failure was responsible for the loss of pressure.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) DURING AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS, IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKING OFF FROM ATOP OF THE LOADER TRUCK, THE PILOT STATED HE LOST HYDRAULIC PRESSURE TO THE FLIGHT CONTROL. THE HELICOPTER HAD NOT GAINED ADEQUATE FORWARD SPEED TO MAINTAIN CONTROL AND IT IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED TO THE RIGHT, AND THE ROTORS STRUCK THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED ON ITS RIGHT HAND SIDE. THE TRANSITION SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED UP ON TOP OF IT. THE FLIGHT CREW SECTION DID NOT SUFFER IMPACT DAMAGE. THE SOLE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THERE WAS NO PROPERTY DAMAGE, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN CURRENT INSPECTION. THE HYDRAULIC PUMP HAD BEEN REPLACED 1.3 HOUR PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT AND THE PILOT MADE A STATEMENT THAT TWO TAKEOFFS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT HE HAD GOTTEN OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT TO INVESTIGATE AN UNUSUAL SOUND BUT DECIDED TO CONTINUE FLIGHT OPERATIONS. TWO TAKEOFFS LATER THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED A HYDRAULIC FAILURE. THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM WAS INTACT EXCEPT FOR THE PUMP. WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT, IT PULLED THE PUMP APART. IT WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE TO EXAMINE THE PUMP TO DETERMINE IF AN INTERNAL FAILURE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LOSS OF PRESSURE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.