What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 13, 2015, at 1845 hours local, at 9475 d road, Columbia, Illinois, the pilot was conducting agricultural spraying in R-44 ii, N165RV. As the aircraft entered the field for a spraying pass, the engine abruptly stopped running. The pilot said he heard a low rotor horn. He immediately entered autorotation and completed the power-off landing into the field he was spraying. During the landing, the tail section of the aircraft struck the ground. A portion of the tail section separated from the fuselage coming to rest approximately 18 feet north northwest from the aircraft. The tail rotor and tail rotor gear box separated from the tail section and continued approximately 150 feet from the the aircraft. The pilot secured the aircraft, all electrical switches, and turned the fuel switch off as he exited the aircraft. Several minutes later, ground crewmen who were servicing the aircraft with company support equipment became concerned when the aircraft did not return. They drove approximately one-half mile to the field being sprayed. They observed the crash site and met the pilot walking up a road approximately three hundred yards away from the aircraft.
This report will be amended. Investigation still in progress.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 13, 2015, AT 1845 HOURS LOCAL, AT 9475 D ROAD, COLUMBIA, ILLINOIS, THE PILOT WAS CONDUCTING AGRICULTURAL SPRAYING IN R-44 II, N165RV. AS THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED THE FIELD FOR A SPRAYING PASS, THE ENGINE ABRUPTLY STOPPED RUNNING. THE PILOT SAID HE HEARD A LOW ROTOR HORN. HE IMMEDIATELY ENTERED AUTOROTATION AND COMPLETED THE POWER-OFF LANDING INTO THE FIELD HE WAS SPRAYING. DURING THE LANDING, THE TAIL SECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND. A PORTION OF THE TAIL SECTION SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE COMING TO REST APPROXIMATELY 18 FEET NORTH NORTHWEST FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE TAIL ROTOR AND TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX SEPARATED FROM THE TAIL SECTION AND CONTINUED APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET FROM THE THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT SECURED THE AIRCRAFT, ALL ELECTRICAL SWITCHES, AND TURNED THE FUEL SWITCH OFF AS HE EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. SEVERAL MINUTES LATER, GROUND CREWMEN WHO WERE SERVICING THE AIRCRAFT WITH COMPANY SUPPORT EQUIPMENT BECAME CONCERNED WHEN THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT RETURN. THEY DROVE APPROXIMATELY ONE-HALF MILE TO THE FIELD BEING SPRAYED. THEY OBSERVED THE CRASH SITE AND MET THE PILOT WALKING UP A ROAD APPROXIMATELY THREE HUNDRED YARDS AWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT.
THIS REPORT WILL BE AMENDED. INVESTIGATION STILL IN PROGRESS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.