What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot departed lz near Willows to fly the 2.8 miles to Willows aiport (kwlw) to use the bathroom. After landing, he shut down the aircraft. After departing the airport en route back to the lz, at 1:04PM he heard a loud bang and sudden vibration as the helicopter suddenly yawed and threw off his heading. He was cruising at an estimated 80 knots and 300? AGL. After feeling the vibration he decreased collective and positioned the aircraft to arrest his fall as he no longer had effective use of his tail rotor. He descended to an estimated 40 feet and positioned for impact into the almond orchard after determining he could not make it to a flat landing location. As the aircraft descended into the almond trees, he pulled on the collective to generate additional lift and minimize impact upon landing. After landing he shutoff the throttle and exited the aircraft and crawled to safety which is where he was found and initially treated by the EMT?s. pilot was taken via ambulance to Willows airport and then flown to the hospital by lift flight.
Findings:
Upon review of the area surrounding the crash, a jacket was found that belonged to the pilot. The jacket was stowed in the pilots backpack in the backseat of the aircraft. Both aft doors and the passenger forward door were on and secured, although all vents/windows were open. The wind passing through the cabin was enough to thread the pilots jacket out through the window of the back left rear door. The jacket then hit the tailrotor, causing sudden stoppage and subsequent sheering of the tailrotor drive shaft. The pilot completed the emergency procedurs land the helicopter and minimize damage.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT DEPARTED LZ NEAR WILLOWS TO FLY THE 2.8 MILES TO WILLOWS AIPORT (KWLW) TO USE THE BATHROOM. AFTER LANDING, HE SHUT DOWN THE AIRCRAFT. AFTER DEPARTING THE AIRPORT EN ROUTE BACK TO THE LZ, AT 1:04PM HE HEARD A LOUD BANG AND SUDDEN VIBRATION AS THE HELICOPTER SUDDENLY YAWED AND THREW OFF HIS HEADING. HE WAS CRUISING AT AN ESTIMATED 80 KNOTS AND 300? AGL. AFTER FEELING THE VIBRATION HE DECREASED COLLECTIVE AND POSITIONED THE AIRCRAFT TO ARREST HIS FALL AS HE NO LONGER HAD EFFECTIVE USE OF HIS TAIL ROTOR. HE DESCENDED TO AN ESTIMATED 40 FEET AND POSITIONED FOR IMPACT INTO THE ALMOND ORCHARD AFTER DETERMINING HE COULD NOT MAKE IT TO A FLAT LANDING LOCATION. AS THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED INTO THE ALMOND TREES, HE PULLED ON THE COLLECTIVE TO GENERATE ADDITIONAL LIFT AND MINIMIZE IMPACT UPON LANDING. AFTER LANDING HE SHUTOFF THE THROTTLE AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND CRAWLED TO SAFETY WHICH IS WHERE HE WAS FOUND AND INITIALLY TREATED BY THE EMT?S. PILOT WAS TAKEN VIA AMBULANCE TO WILLOWS AIRPORT AND THEN FLOWN TO THE HOSPITAL BY LIFT FLIGHT.
FINDINGS:
UPON REVIEW OF THE AREA SURROUNDING THE CRASH, A JACKET WAS FOUND THAT BELONGED TO THE PILOT. THE JACKET WAS STOWED IN THE PILOTS BACKPACK IN THE BACKSEAT OF THE AIRCRAFT. BOTH AFT DOORS AND THE PASSENGER FORWARD DOOR WERE ON AND SECURED, ALTHOUGH ALL VENTS/WINDOWS WERE OPEN. THE WIND PASSING THROUGH THE CABIN WAS ENOUGH TO THREAD THE PILOTS JACKET OUT THROUGH THE WINDOW OF THE BACK LEFT REAR DOOR. THE JACKET THEN HIT THE TAILROTOR, CAUSING SUDDEN STOPPAGE AND SUBSEQUENT SHEERING OF THE TAILROTOR DRIVE SHAFT. THE PILOT COMPLETED THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURS LAND THE HELICOPTER AND MINIMIZE DAMAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.