What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 31 July 2010 at approximately 1200 hours, a oh -58 helicopter was operating under CFR part 137 aerial application, near Kountze Texas when it experienced a loss of power. The pilot reported that he was spraying pine trees and had turned back for another pass, when he the aircraft quickly yawed to the left and back right and back to the left again. The engine then shut down, the pilot made a radio call on the company frequency that "he was going down". The pilot was able to clear some tall trees and attempted to put the helicopter in a clearing next to the forest. The helicopter impacted the ground tail first as the pilot reported he attempted to do a quick stop maneuver for the landing. The fuselage impacted the ground hard, and turned 180 degrees from the initial heading. The aft portion of the helicopter ripped and twisted 90 degrees to the right, causing the transmission deck to fold into the pilots' compartment. The tail boom was broken off from the fuselage and was located in front of the wreckage; marks indicated that the tail boom had sustained hits from the main rotor blades. The pilot was able to crawl from the wreckage and waited till his support crew arrived. The pilot was transported to the hospital by air ambulance and was released later in the day with a cracked vertebra in his back.
As the FAA filed it
ON 31 JULY 2010 AT APPROXIMATELY 1200 HOURS, A OH -58 HELICOPTER WAS OPERATING UNDER CFR PART 137 AERIAL APPLICATION, NEAR KOUNTZE TEXAS WHEN IT EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER.THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS SPRAYING PINE TREES AND HAD TURNED BACK FOR ANOTHER PASS, WHEN HE THE AIRCRAFT QUICKLY YAWED TO THE LEFT AND BACK RIGHT AND BACK TO THE LEFT AGAIN. THE ENGINE THEN SHUT DOWN, THE PILOT MADE A RADIO CALL ON THE COMPANY FREQUENCY THAT "HE WAS GOING DOWN". THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO CLEAR SOME TALL TREES AND ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE HELICOPTER IN A CLEARING NEXT TO THE FOREST. THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE GROUND TAIL FIRST AS THE PILOT REPORTED HE ATTEMPTED TO DO A QUICK STOP MANEUVER FOR THE LANDING. THE FUSELAGE IMPACTED THE GROUND HARD, AND TURNED 180 DEGREES FROM THE INITIAL HEADING. THE AFT PORTION OF THE HELICOPTER RIPPED AND TWISTED 90 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT, CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION DECK TO FOLD INTO THE PILOTS' COMPARTMENT. THE TAIL BOOM WAS BROKEN OFF FROM THE FUSELAGE AND WAS LOCATED IN FRONT OF THE WRECKAGE; MARKS INDICATED THAT THE TAIL BOOM HAD SUSTAINED HITS FROM THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES.THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO CRAWL FROM THE WRECKAGE AND WAITED TILL HIS SUPPORT CREW ARRIVED.THE PILOT WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL BY AIR AMBULANCE AND WAS RELEASED LATER IN THE DAY WITH A CRACKED VERTEBRA IN HIS BACK.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.