What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot had been conducting aerial spraying for most of the day. As temperature and humidity increased throughout the day, power margin decreased. As the pilot attempted to takeoff from the pad on top of the chemical truck, pilot pulled "a little to quickly and too much on the collective" which exceeded the power available for the conditions. This resulted in rotor and engine RPM decay, leading to a loss of lift during a critical time. The pilot tried to regain RPM, but didn't have enough altitude and contacted soft ground with about 5 knots forward speed. Because the skids did not slide in the soft dirt, the aircraft pitched forward and the main rotor began to contact the ground off the nose. The pilot reacted by applying aft cyclic which caused the main rotor to contact/sever the tail. This caused the aircraft to yaw and roll onto its left side.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT HAD BEEN CONDUCTING AERIAL SPRAYING FOR MOST OF THE DAY. AS TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY INCREASED THROUGHOUT THE DAY, POWER MARGIN DECREASED. AS THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO TAKEOFF FROM THE PAD ON TOP OF THE CHEMICAL TRUCK, PILOT PULLED "A LITTLE TO QUICKLY AND TOO MUCH ON THE COLLECTIVE" WHICH EXCEEDED THE POWER AVAILABLE FOR THE CONDITIONS. THIS RESULTED IN ROTOR AND ENGINE RPM DECAY, LEADING TO A LOSS OF LIFT DURING A CRITICAL TIME. THE PILOT TRIED TO REGAIN RPM, BUT DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH ALTITUDE AND CONTACTED SOFT GROUND WITH ABOUT 5 KNOTS FORWARD SPEED. BECAUSE THE SKIDS DID NOT SLIDE IN THE SOFT DIRT, THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED FORWARD AND THE MAIN ROTOR BEGAN TO CONTACT THE GROUND OFF THE NOSE. THE PILOT REACTED BY APPLYING AFT CYCLIC WHICH CAUSED THE MAIN ROTOR TO CONTACT/SEVER THE TAIL. THIS CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO YAW AND ROLL ONTO ITS LEFT SIDE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.