What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot had been conducting agricultural helicopter operations all day. On second to last pass, just as he was going to initiate left turn to reposition for the next pass and while at 75 -100 feet AGL , the pilot heard a loud pop sound. Pilot then experienced a complete loss of tail rotor control. The helicopter spun to the right. Pilot maintained main rotor power and used collective to cushion descent into the pine trees adjacent to the field he had been spraying. Helicopter hit the ground in a left side nose down position and came to rest on its left side. Investigation found that the tail rotor drive shaft had broken in two places and that a bolt was missing from the most forward coupling of the tail rotor drive shaft. Drive shaft was sheared in the middle of the short shaft and in the mid section of the shaft.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT HAD BEEN CONDUCTING AGRICULTURAL HELICOPTER OPERATIONS ALL DAY. ON SECOND TO LAST PASS, JUST AS HE WAS GOING TO INITIATE LEFT TURN TO REPOSITION FOR THE NEXT PASS AND WHILE AT 75 -100 FEET AGL , THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD POP SOUND. PILOT THEN EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR CONTROL. THE HELICOPTER SPUN TO THE RIGHT. PILOT MAINTAINED MAIN ROTOR POWER AND USED COLLECTIVE TO CUSHION DESCENT INTO THE PINE TREES ADJACENT TO THE FIELD HE HAD BEEN SPRAYING. HELICOPTER HIT THE GROUND IN A LEFT SIDE NOSE DOWN POSITION AND CAME TO REST ON ITS LEFT SIDE. INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT HAD BROKEN IN TWO PLACES AND THAT A BOLT WAS MISSING FROM THE MOST FORWARD COUPLING OF THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT. DRIVE SHAFT WAS SHEARED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SHORT SHAFT AND IN THE MID SECTION OF THE SHAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.