What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Agricultural helo (no chemicals) crashed.
Summary of findings:
Helicopter resting on l/h side in almond tree orchard. Helicopter is intact other than a missing section of one the tail rotor blades.
The resting helicopter is pointing on a heading of 120 se. Landing gear appears to be intact with no signs of a hard landing under the fuselage structure and landing gear attachments. Tail boom, vertical stabilizer and horizontal stabilizer show signs of roll over damage.
Note: bottom vertical stabilizer shows signs on trailing edge damage possibly from tail rotor blade.
Aircraft cabin has severe structural damage from the roll over on the left hand front door pillar. All controls cyclic, collective and tail rotor controls intact.
Aircraft main transmission mount/restraint system on the top deck shows severe structural damage from the sudden stoppage of main rotor blades on roll over.
The main rotor drive shaft coupling at forward transmission attachment has disintegrated from the sudden stoppage of main rotor transmission.
Both main rotor blades show severe damage due to impact, sudden stoppage with ground upon roll over.
Engine controls in engine compartment are still attached and safetied.
Segmented tail rotor drive shaft from engine gearbox back to tail rotor gear box is intact but is not engaged at tail rotor gear box splined adapter. Tail rotor was found free to rotate.
Tail rotor gearbox was found free from its mount to the tail boom with all four mounting studs having been sheared off. The tail rotor gearbox mounting shims found scattered on ground approximately 10 feet behind tail rotor mount.
Tail rotor control bellcranks/rod ends at gearbox have sheared off.
Tail rotor hub and blade assembly is still attached to the tail rotor gearbox.
One tail rotor blade is severely damaged but shows little damage from rollover/ground impact.
Over 80% of the other tail rotor blade is missing from the assembly. The remaining part is still bolted to tail rotor hub.
The inside of the tail rotor gearbox top cowling shows signs of contact with tail rotor gearbox.
Note: the missing tail blade section was found by pilotprivacy data omitted the next day 2000? Feet to the north of helicopter in the almond tree orchard.
As the FAA filed it
AGRICULTURAL HELO (NO CHEMICALS) CRASHED.
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS:
HELICOPTER RESTING ON L/H SIDE IN ALMOND TREE ORCHARD. HELICOPTER IS INTACT OTHER THAN A MISSING SECTION OF ONE THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES.
THE RESTING HELICOPTER IS POINTING ON A HEADING OF 120 SE. LANDING GEAR APPEARS TO BE INTACT WITH NO SIGNS OF A HARD LANDING UNDER THE FUSELAGE STRUCTURE AND LANDING GEAR ATTACHMENTS. TAIL BOOM, VERTICAL STABILIZER AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER SHOW SIGNS OF ROLL OVER DAMAGE.
NOTE: BOTTOM VERTICAL STABILIZER SHOWS SIGNS ON TRAILING EDGE DAMAGE POSSIBLY FROM TAIL ROTOR BLADE.
AIRCRAFT CABIN HAS SEVERE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE FROM THE ROLL OVER ON THE LEFT HAND FRONT DOOR PILLAR. ALL CONTROLS CYCLIC, COLLECTIVE AND TAIL ROTOR CONTROLS INTACT.
AIRCRAFT MAIN TRANSMISSION MOUNT/RESTRAINT SYSTEM ON THE TOP DECK SHOWS SEVERE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE FROM THE SUDDEN STOPPAGE OF MAIN ROTOR BLADES ON ROLL OVER.
THE MAIN ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT COUPLING AT FORWARD TRANSMISSION ATTACHMENT HAS DISINTEGRATED FROM THE SUDDEN STOPPAGE OF MAIN ROTOR TRANSMISSION.
BOTH MAIN ROTOR BLADES SHOW SEVERE DAMAGE DUE TO IMPACT, SUDDEN STOPPAGE WITH GROUND UPON ROLL OVER.
ENGINE CONTROLS IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT ARE STILL ATTACHED AND SAFETIED.
SEGMENTED TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT FROM ENGINE GEARBOX BACK TO TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX IS INTACT BUT IS NOT ENGAGED AT TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX SPLINED ADAPTER. TAIL ROTOR WAS FOUND FREE TO ROTATE.
TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX WAS FOUND FREE FROM ITS MOUNT TO THE TAIL BOOM WITH ALL FOUR MOUNTING STUDS HAVING BEEN SHEARED OFF. THE TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX MOUNTING SHIMS FOUND SCATTERED ON GROUND APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET BEHIND TAIL ROTOR MOUNT.
TAIL ROTOR CONTROL BELLCRANKS/ROD ENDS AT GEARBOX HAVE SHEARED OFF.
TAIL ROTOR HUB AND BLADE ASSEMBLY IS STILL ATTACHED TO THE TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX.
ONE TAIL ROTOR BLADE IS SEVERELY DAMAGED BUT SHOWS LITTLE DAMAGE FROM ROLLOVER/GROUND IMPACT.
OVER 80% OF THE OTHER TAIL ROTOR BLADE IS MISSING FROM THE ASSEMBLY. THE REMAINING PART IS STILL BOLTED TO TAIL ROTOR HUB.
THE INSIDE OF THE TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX TOP COWLING SHOWS SIGNS OF CONTACT WITH TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX.
NOTE: THE MISSING TAIL BLADE SECTION WAS FOUND BY PILOT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THE NEXT DAY 2000? FEET TO THE NORTH OF HELICOPTER IN THE ALMOND TREE ORCHARD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.