What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On November 23, 2007, about 1930 MST, a Hiller UH-12E helicopter, N104EA, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following an in-flight separation of a control rotor, about three miles northeast of yuma, Arizona. The helicopter is registered to tri-rotor spray and chemical of ulysses, Kansas, and operated under the provisions of title 14, CFR part 137. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the aerial application flight that originated near yuma approximately 10 minutes prior to the accident. According to the pilot, he was conducting an aerial application on a crop. As the helicopter flew over a set of power lines, the pilot felt an extreme vibration and initiated a forced landing. Post-accident examination of the helicopter, by the pilot and operator, revealed that a control rotor had separated from the rotor system. The separated control rotor was found in the area where the vibration started.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON NOVEMBER 23, 2007, ABOUT 1930 MST, A HILLER UH-12E HELICOPTER, N104EA, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING AN IN-FLIGHT SEPARATION OF A CONTROL ROTOR, ABOUT THREE MILES NORTHEAST OF YUMA, ARIZONA. THE HELICOPTER IS REGISTERED TO TRI-ROTOR SPRAY AND CHEMICAL OF ULYSSES, KANSAS, AND OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14, CFR PART 137. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT THAT ORIGINATED NEAR YUMA APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE WAS CONDUCTING AN AERIAL APPLICATION ON A CROP. AS THE HELICOPTER FLEW OVER A SET OF POWER LINES, THE PILOT FELT AN EXTREME VIBRATION AND INITIATED A FORCED LANDING. POST-ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER, BY THE PILOT AND OPERATOR, REVEALED THAT A CONTROL ROTOR HAD SEPARATED FROM THE ROTOR SYSTEM. THE SEPARATED CONTROL ROTOR WAS FOUND IN THE AREA WHERE THE VIBRATION STARTED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.