What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On the morning of 5 October 2016, the pilot performed a preflight inspection in accordance to with the manual on rotorcraft N175SF. The pilot found no anomalies on the preflight and departed the private strip of farm ag enterprise at 0700MST with 1000LBS of fuel and no load. N175SF flew to the job site which was located at 32.9777 -112.7818. At approximately 0900MST N175SF was just finishing up with a load and was pulling up out of the field and turning left to return to the truck. N175SF was approximately 80-100FT AGL and 20 knots when there was a loud bang followed by loss of tail rotor control and a flat spin to the right. The pilot lowered the collective and entered an autorotation. The pilot made a right hand spiral turn downward for the ground trying to get the tail to straighten out. The pilot was unable to completely stop the spin before getting to the ground. The pilot performed a flare to stop the decent and landed the rotorcraft in the cotton field. When N175SF it the ground the skids stuck into the cotton plants and the momentum caused a dynamic roll over to the left. The rotorcraft laid over on it?s left side and the blades hit the ground. The pilot shut off the fuel valve, circuit breakers, and master switch; then exited the rotorcraft out the right door.
There was a witness standing by who was a farmer in a near by field confirming the loud bang and observing the spin action of the rotorcraft as N175SF hit the ground.
As the FAA filed it
ON THE MORNING OF 5 OCTOBER 2016, THE PILOT PERFORMED A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION IN ACCORDANCE TO WITH THE MANUAL ON ROTORCRAFT N175SF. THE PILOT FOUND NO ANOMALIES ON THE PREFLIGHT AND DEPARTED THE PRIVATE STRIP OF FARM AG ENTERPRISE AT 0700MST WITH 1000LBS OF FUEL AND NO LOAD. N175SF FLEW TO THE JOB SITE WHICH WAS LOCATED AT 32.9777 -112.7818. AT APPROXIMATELY 0900MST N175SF WAS JUST FINISHING UP WITH A LOAD AND WAS PULLING UP OUT OF THE FIELD AND TURNING LEFT TO RETURN TO THE TRUCK. N175SF WAS APPROXIMATELY 80-100FT AGL AND 20 KNOTS WHEN THERE WAS A LOUD BANG FOLLOWED BY LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR CONTROL AND A FLAT SPIN TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND ENTERED AN AUTOROTATION. THE PILOT MADE A RIGHT HAND SPIRAL TURN DOWNWARD FOR THE GROUND TRYING TO GET THE TAIL TO STRAIGHTEN OUT. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO COMPLETELY STOP THE SPIN BEFORE GETTING TO THE GROUND. THE PILOT PERFORMED A FLARE TO STOP THE DECENT AND LANDED THE ROTORCRAFT IN THE COTTON FIELD. WHEN N175SF IT THE GROUND THE SKIDS STUCK INTO THE COTTON PLANTS AND THE MOMENTUM CAUSED A DYNAMIC ROLL OVER TO THE LEFT. THE ROTORCRAFT LAID OVER ON IT?S LEFT SIDE AND THE BLADES HIT THE GROUND. THE PILOT SHUT OFF THE FUEL VALVE, CIRCUIT BREAKERS, AND MASTER SWITCH; THEN EXITED THE ROTORCRAFT OUT THE RIGHT DOOR.
THERE WAS A WITNESS STANDING BY WHO WAS A FARMER IN A NEAR BY FIELD CONFIRMING THE LOUD BANG AND OBSERVING THE SPIN ACTION OF THE ROTORCRAFT AS N175SF HIT THE GROUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.