What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
At approximately 1900 local time (0000Z) on July 18, 2022, a Bell 206B helicopter, serial number 4034, privacy data omitted departed from an agricultural truck platform 4.8 NM south of Verona, IL, with the sole occupant being the pilot.
The purpose of the flight was aerial application on nearby fields. privacy data omitted Utilized a load truck with an elevated landing platform (deck height approximately 15 feet) for reloading product. After reloading, as N6BU lifted off the truck, the low rotor caution light illuminated and the low rotor warning horn sounded. The helicopter departed the platform with forward movement, landed in the field reportedly 30-40 feet away from the platform truck, and after touchdown, the main rotor blades contacted the tail rotor boom just aft of the horizontal stabilizer, severing the tail boom entirely. The helicopter remained upright and there were no injuries.
The helicopter was under max gross weight and the environment did not significantly reduce aircraft performance. On August 17, 2022, a continuity check of m/r flight controls and engine controls was performed. Shutoff to full power was confirmed from twist grip to actual on the fuel control. Fuel was confirmed from both forward and aft boost pumps to the airframe fuel filter. Engine oil quantity was confirmed in airframe tank and throughout lines during engine removal.
A manufacturer investigator performed a field inspection and the aircraft?s engine was removed from the helicopter for further analysis. There was no evidence of post-crash fire. This report will be amended pending completion of manufacturer operational function checks of the engine.
**Amendment: on November 3, 2022, rolls royce noted "the engine started, idled, and accelerated as designed during the testing with no flame outs or uncommanded power fluctuations noted. No anomalies were observed during the exam or testing which would have caused the reported power loss during the event." The prdicted take off power available at standard day conditions exceeded specifications.
As the FAA filed it
AT APPROXIMATELY 1900 LOCAL TIME (0000Z) ON JULY 18, 2022, A BELL 206B HELICOPTER, SERIAL NUMBER 4034, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED FROM AN AGRICULTURAL TRUCK PLATFORM 4.8 NM SOUTH OF VERONA, IL, WITH THE SOLE OCCUPANT BEING THE PILOT.
THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS AERIAL APPLICATION ON NEARBY FIELDS. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ UTILIZED A LOAD TRUCK WITH AN ELEVATED LANDING PLATFORM (DECK HEIGHT APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET) FOR RELOADING PRODUCT. AFTER RELOADING, AS N6BU LIFTED OFF THE TRUCK, THE LOW ROTOR CAUTION LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE LOW ROTOR WARNING HORN SOUNDED. THE HELICOPTER DEPARTED THE PLATFORM WITH FORWARD MOVEMENT, LANDED IN THE FIELD REPORTEDLY 30-40 FEET AWAY FROM THE PLATFORM TRUCK, AND AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED THE TAIL ROTOR BOOM JUST AFT OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, SEVERING THE TAIL BOOM ENTIRELY. THE HELICOPTER REMAINED UPRIGHT AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES.
THE HELICOPTER WAS UNDER MAX GROSS WEIGHT AND THE ENVIRONMENT DID NOT SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE. ON AUGUST 17, 2022, A CONTINUITY CHECK OF M/R FLIGHT CONTROLS AND ENGINE CONTROLS WAS PERFORMED. SHUTOFF TO FULL POWER WAS CONFIRMED FROM TWIST GRIP TO ACTUAL ON THE FUEL CONTROL. FUEL WAS CONFIRMED FROM BOTH FORWARD AND AFT BOOST PUMPS TO THE AIRFRAME FUEL FILTER. ENGINE OIL QUANTITY WAS CONFIRMED IN AIRFRAME TANK AND THROUGHOUT LINES DURING ENGINE REMOVAL.
A MANUFACTURER INVESTIGATOR PERFORMED A FIELD INSPECTION AND THE AIRCRAFT?S ENGINE WAS REMOVED FROM THE HELICOPTER FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF POST-CRASH FIRE. THIS REPORT WILL BE AMENDED PENDING COMPLETION OF MANUFACTURER OPERATIONAL FUNCTION CHECKS OF THE ENGINE.
**AMENDMENT: ON NOVEMBER 3, 2022, ROLLS ROYCE NOTED "THE ENGINE STARTED, IDLED, AND ACCELERATED AS DESIGNED DURING THE TESTING WITH NO FLAME OUTS OR UNCOMMANDED POWER FLUCTUATIONS NOTED. NO ANOMALIES WERE OBSERVED DURING THE EXAM OR TESTING WHICH WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE REPORTED POWER LOSS DURING THE EVENT." THE PRDICTED TAKE OFF POWER AVAILABLE AT STANDARD DAY CONDITIONS EXCEEDED SPECIFICATIONS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.