What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircraft was on its third low level pass at 2-3 ft altitude at approximately 60 KTS over a soybean field doing aerial application operations. The pilot glanced at his agnav GPS and then he noted a noise from the left spray boom that sounded like leaves or something hitting the spray boom. A witness on the ground stated that the spray boom hit the ground. The pilot pulled up to assess what the noise was and noted that the left spray boom was shaking fore and aft. The spray boom then folded aft toward the tail boom and there was a bang or a pop noise. After the spray boom folded, the pilot executed a climb to approximately 10 ft AGL and slowed down the aircraft in order to make a precautionary landing. As speed reduced from 60 to 40 KTS, the aircraft began to rotate right and assumed a nose down attitude. The aircraft made almost two full right rotations prior to an attempted auto rotation for landing. The aircraft came to rest perpendicular to the original line of flight on the skids, and sustained substantial damage. The spray boom was completely separated from the aircraft as was the tail rotor and tail rotor gear box. The pilot suffered a L2 compression fracture and lacerations to the forehead.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON ITS THIRD LOW LEVEL PASS AT 2-3 FT ALTITUDE AT APPROXIMATELY 60 KTS OVER A SOYBEAN FIELD DOING AERIAL APPLICATION OPERATIONS. THE PILOT GLANCED AT HIS AGNAV GPS AND THEN HE NOTED A NOISE FROM THE LEFT SPRAY BOOM THAT SOUNDED LIKE LEAVES OR SOMETHING HITTING THE SPRAY BOOM. A WITNESS ON THE GROUND STATED THAT THE SPRAY BOOM HIT THE GROUND. THE PILOT PULLED UP TO ASSESS WHAT THE NOISE WAS AND NOTED THAT THE LEFT SPRAY BOOM WAS SHAKING FORE AND AFT. THE SPRAY BOOM THEN FOLDED AFT TOWARD THE TAIL BOOM AND THERE WAS A BANG OR A POP NOISE. AFTER THE SPRAY BOOM FOLDED, THE PILOT EXECUTED A CLIMB TO APPROXIMATELY 10 FT AGL AND SLOWED DOWN THE AIRCRAFT IN ORDER TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. AS SPEED REDUCED FROM 60 TO 40 KTS, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO ROTATE RIGHT AND ASSUMED A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT MADE ALMOST TWO FULL RIGHT ROTATIONS PRIOR TO AN ATTEMPTED AUTO ROTATION FOR LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST PERPENDICULAR TO THE ORIGINAL LINE OF FLIGHT ON THE SKIDS, AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE SPRAY BOOM WAS COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AS WAS THE TAIL ROTOR AND TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX. THE PILOT SUFFERED A L2 COMPRESSION FRACTURE AND LACERATIONS TO THE FOREHEAD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.