What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 27, 2020 at approximately 15:30 central daylight time, a Robinson R44 helicopter was substantially damaged due to impact with terrain shortly after takeoff at the Hebron, Nebraska (hjh) municipal airport heading to a nearby field to spray.
After the first round of spraying, the helicopter returned to the Hebron Municipal Airport to re-fuel. The helicopter was fueled from a trailer-mounted tank, which had been filled from the operators secondary tank, instead of the primary refueling tank.
The pilot then helped get the trailers ready with a new load of chemicals and then had lunch. Following lunch, the pilot started up the helicopter normally, the pilot stated he did not sump the fuel tanks during his pre-flight checks. He ran through his post startup checklists and everything checked normal. He spooled up to 100% and took off towards the nw to avoid power lines, and once clear turned back to the north and continued to accelerate and climb.
At approximately 200 feet, the low rotor light and horn came on, pilot lowered the collective and rolled on the throttle. With no change, he continued to lower collective and roll on more throttle. After approx. 2-3 seconds in a descent with rotor RPM continuing to drop, collective was fulldown and engine tac had dropped to 0, and the sound of the engine was gone. The pilot then leveled the helicopter to try and perform an autorotation, with no altitude left to maneuver, he went straight into the corn field. When he flared at the bottom, he experienced violent shaking and a very hard landing.
The rotor blades cut off tail boom, the aircraft bounced and rotated counter clockwise and rolled onto right side facing 180 degrees from point of impact. Pilot evacuated aircraft without assistance.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 27, 2020 AT APPROXIMATELY 15:30 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A ROBINSON R44 HELICOPTER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DUE TO IMPACT WITH TERRAIN SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF AT THE HEBRON, NEBRASKA (HJH) MUNICIPAL AIRPORT HEADING TO A NEARBY FIELD TO SPRAY.
AFTER THE FIRST ROUND OF SPRAYING, THE HELICOPTER RETURNED TO THE HEBRON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT TO RE-FUEL. THE HELICOPTER WAS FUELED FROM A TRAILER-MOUNTED TANK, WHICH HAD BEEN FILLED FROM THE OPERATORS SECONDARY TANK, INSTEAD OF THE PRIMARY REFUELING TANK.
THE PILOT THEN HELPED GET THE TRAILERS READY WITH A NEW LOAD OF CHEMICALS AND THEN HAD LUNCH. FOLLOWING LUNCH, THE PILOT STARTED UP THE HELICOPTER NORMALLY, THE PILOT STATED HE DID NOT SUMP THE FUEL TANKS DURING HIS PRE-FLIGHT CHECKS. HE RAN THROUGH HIS POST STARTUP CHECKLISTS AND EVERYTHING CHECKED NORMAL. HE SPOOLED UP TO 100% AND TOOK OFF TOWARDS THE NW TO AVOID POWER LINES, AND ONCE CLEAR TURNED BACK TO THE NORTH AND CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AND CLIMB.
AT APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET, THE LOW ROTOR LIGHT AND HORN CAME ON, PILOT LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND ROLLED ON THE THROTTLE. WITH NO CHANGE, HE CONTINUED TO LOWER COLLECTIVE AND ROLL ON MORE THROTTLE. AFTER APPROX. 2-3 SECONDS IN A DESCENT WITH ROTOR RPM CONTINUING TO DROP, COLLECTIVE WAS FULLDOWN AND ENGINE TAC HAD DROPPED TO 0, AND THE SOUND OF THE ENGINE WAS GONE. THE PILOT THEN LEVELED THE HELICOPTER TO TRY AND PERFORM AN AUTOROTATION, WITH NO ALTITUDE LEFT TO MANEUVER, HE WENT STRAIGHT INTO THE CORN FIELD. WHEN HE FLARED AT THE BOTTOM, HE EXPERIENCED VIOLENT SHAKING AND A VERY HARD LANDING.
THE ROTOR BLADES CUT OFF TAIL BOOM, THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED AND ROTATED COUNTER CLOCKWISE AND ROLLED ONTO RIGHT SIDE FACING 180 DEGREES FROM POINT OF IMPACT. PILOT EVACUATED AIRCRAFT WITHOUT ASSISTANCE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.