20130504006959A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Arrow Falcon Exporters OH-58A+ · Somerton, AZ · May 4, 2013

Date: May 4, 2013 · 00:12 local
Place: Somerton, AZ
Phase of flight: Maneuver
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: 7MIG
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N911RN
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR13LA215
Reported as: Arrow Falcon Exporters OH-58A+
Reported engine: Allison T63-A-720
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 650 total250 in this make and model63 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

An aero falcon exporters OH-58A+ collided with terrain during crop dusting operations near Somerton, AZ. The pilot was not injured. The helicopter came to rest on its side resulting in substantial damage. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated from morris ag air southwest LLC in yuma, AZ. The pilot stated he was making a left turn and as he was turning the cyclic reached the left stop and he had no more left cyclic authority. The helicopter was still drifting right and he was getting close to the power lines. The pilot applied up collective and left pedal to maneuver over the power lines when the helicopter started to rotate to the right in an uncommanded fashion. The helicopter collided with the terrain as the pilot tried to regain directional control. The pilot stated the aircraft had no mechanical failures during the flight.

As the FAA filed it

AN AERO FALCON EXPORTERS OH-58A+ COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN DURING CROP DUSTING OPERATIONS NEAR SOMERTON, AZ. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST ON ITS SIDE RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED AND VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM MORRIS AG AIR SOUTHWEST LLC IN YUMA, AZ. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN AND AS HE WAS TURNING THE CYCLIC REACHED THE LEFT STOP AND HE HAD NO MORE LEFT CYCLIC AUTHORITY. THE HELICOPTER WAS STILL DRIFTING RIGHT AND HE WAS GETTING CLOSE TO THE POWER LINES. THE PILOT APPLIED UP COLLECTIVE AND LEFT PEDAL TO MANEUVER OVER THE POWER LINES WHEN THE HELICOPTER STARTED TO ROTATE TO THE RIGHT IN AN UNCOMMANDED FASHION. THE HELICOPTER COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN AS THE PILOT TRIED TO REGAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE PILOT STATED THE AIRCRAFT HAD NO MECHANICAL FAILURES DURING THE FLIGHT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR13LA215Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSomerton, AZThe pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control while maneuvering at a low altitude in dark night conditions, which resulted in collision with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's fatigue due to his working at a time when he normally would…May 4, 2013 · Substantial damage