What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot was operating the aircraft for personal use in support of cattle ranching on private land. The pilot and his brother were on board. The accident occurred approximately 10 miles southwest of the Holbrook, AZ in open range land.
It was the second flight of the day while performing low level flight in order to herd cattle. Pilot turned downwind and experianced a power loss. Aircraft began to decend rapidly. Prior to inpact, pilot applied collective to arrest the decent, causing the rotor to deteoriate below operating RPM. The aircraft impacted the ground causing the rotor blades to flex downward and chop off the tail boom.
The aircraft damage was substancial. There were no injuries to the aircraft occupants.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT WAS OPERATING THE AIRCRAFT FOR PERSONAL USE IN SUPPORT OF CATTLE RANCHING ON PRIVATE LAND. THE PILOT AND HIS BROTHER WERE ON BOARD. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE HOLBROOK, AZ IN OPEN RANGE LAND.
IT WAS THE SECOND FLIGHT OF THE DAY WHILE PERFORMING LOW LEVEL FLIGHT IN ORDER TO HERD CATTLE. PILOT TURNED DOWNWIND AND EXPERIANCED A POWER LOSS. AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO DECEND RAPIDLY. PRIOR TO INPACT, PILOT APPLIED COLLECTIVE TO ARREST THE DECENT, CAUSING THE ROTOR TO DETEORIATE BELOW OPERATING RPM. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND CAUSING THE ROTOR BLADES TO FLEX DOWNWARD AND CHOP OFF THE TAIL BOOM.
THE AIRCRAFT DAMAGE WAS SUBSTANCIAL. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE AIRCRAFT OCCUPANTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.