What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N131AL, a Hughes 369D, was being used to capture deer for the division of wildlife. At about 1300 local time they were about to net another deer, at about 50 feet AGL. When the pilot and copilot heard a loud bang followed by another bang and then the aircraft started to spin. The aircraft crashed in some trees both occupants had some minor injuries. The tail boom had seperated and was about 100 feet from where the rest of the aircraft landed. The investigation showed a rotor blade strike on the tail boom which compromised the structural integrity of the tail boom. No other damage was found on the tail boom that would have caused the tail boom to seperate from the aircraft. The NTSB investigator is jennifer rodi she is having the rotor blade and parts of the tail boom examined at the NTSB lab.
As the FAA filed it
N131AL, A HUGHES 369D, WAS BEING USED TO CAPTURE DEER FOR THE DIVISION OF WILDLIFE. AT ABOUT 1300 LOCAL TIME THEY WERE ABOUT TO NET ANOTHER DEER, AT ABOUT 50 FEET AGL. WHEN THE PILOT AND COPILOT HEARD A LOUD BANG FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER BANG AND THEN THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO SPIN. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN SOME TREES BOTH OCCUPANTS HAD SOME MINOR INJURIES. THE TAIL BOOM HAD SEPERATED AND WAS ABOUT 100 FEET FROM WHERE THE REST OF THE AIRCRAFT LANDED. THE INVESTIGATION SHOWED A ROTOR BLADE STRIKE ON THE TAIL BOOM WHICH COMPROMISED THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE TAIL BOOM. NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS FOUND ON THE TAIL BOOM THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE TAIL BOOM TO SEPERATE FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR IS JENNIFER RODI SHE IS HAVING THE ROTOR BLADE AND PARTS OF THE TAIL BOOM EXAMINED AT THE NTSB LAB.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.