What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
At approximately 1215 CDT, aircraft impacted the ground in a rice field 5.5 miles nw of covey trails airport (X09). Pilot states that he was performing aerial rice pollination by flying 2-3 feet above the rice around 20 KTS, up & down the fields. After about an hour into the flight, pilots states that he noticed the main rotor RPM was low and that the aircraft had descended slightly. Unable to correct quickly enough, the helicopter skids got caught up in the vegetation causing the aircraft to roll forward and strike the ground. Aircraft sustained substantial damage - main rotor mast, main rotor blades, tail boom & tail rotor blades all separated the aircraft. Pilot exited the aircraft with no injuries.
As the FAA filed it
AT APPROXIMATELY 1215 CDT, AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A RICE FIELD 5.5 MILES NW OF COVEY TRAILS AIRPORT (X09). PILOT STATES THAT HE WAS PERFORMING AERIAL RICE POLLINATION BY FLYING 2-3 FEET ABOVE THE RICE AROUND 20 KTS, UP & DOWN THE FIELDS. AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR INTO THE FLIGHT, PILOTS STATES THAT HE NOTICED THE MAIN ROTOR RPM WAS LOW AND THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD DESCENDED SLIGHTLY. UNABLE TO CORRECT QUICKLY ENOUGH, THE HELICOPTER SKIDS GOT CAUGHT UP IN THE VEGETATION CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO ROLL FORWARD AND STRIKE THE GROUND. AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE - MAIN ROTOR MAST, MAIN ROTOR BLADES, TAIL BOOM & TAIL ROTOR BLADES ALL SEPARATED THE AIRCRAFT. PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITH NO INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.