What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 22, 2022, at approximately 0921L, a Robinson-44 (R-44) helicopter, N442JE, made a hard landing in a field located near Waterloo, IL, latitude: 38°20?24? N and longitude: 90°10?09.2?w. the hard landing resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft, but with no injury to the pilot.
The PIC related how on the pass before the accident, the cyclic had, for a brief moment, felt heavy as though the hydraulic system had been turned off. The PIC stated he checked to ensure the switch had not been accidently turned off, it was still on, but the aircraft had once again regained full normal control so he continued with the operation. At the end of his first pass he performed an ?ag turn? And was setting back up to intercept his line to continue spraying when the heaviness came back. At that point, while in a decent to operating altitude, the PIC related the controls became so heavy they felt as though they had hit a wall. The PIC was able to slow the decent but not able to arrest the decent. The aircraft slowly descended through the corn and appeared to hover just off the ground for about 80 yards. The belly tank uprooted all the corn in N442JE?s path. The copilot skid touched down, broke off and flipped N442JE onto its nose as the main rotor blade made contact with the ground spinning the aircraft 180°. With the violent and abrupt stoppage and spin, the tail cone separated and was slung away from N442JE.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 22, 2022, AT APPROXIMATELY 0921L, A ROBINSON-44 (R-44) HELICOPTER, N442JE, MADE A HARD LANDING IN A FIELD LOCATED NEAR WATERLOO, IL, LATITUDE: 38°20?24? N AND LONGITUDE: 90°10?09.2?W. THE HARD LANDING RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT, BUT WITH NO INJURY TO THE PILOT.
THE PIC RELATED HOW ON THE PASS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, THE CYCLIC HAD, FOR A BRIEF MOMENT, FELT HEAVY AS THOUGH THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM HAD BEEN TURNED OFF. THE PIC STATED HE CHECKED TO ENSURE THE SWITCH HAD NOT BEEN ACCIDENTLY TURNED OFF, IT WAS STILL ON, BUT THE AIRCRAFT HAD ONCE AGAIN REGAINED FULL NORMAL CONTROL SO HE CONTINUED WITH THE OPERATION. AT THE END OF HIS FIRST PASS HE PERFORMED AN ?AG TURN? AND WAS SETTING BACK UP TO INTERCEPT HIS LINE TO CONTINUE SPRAYING WHEN THE HEAVINESS CAME BACK. AT THAT POINT, WHILE IN A DECENT TO OPERATING ALTITUDE, THE PIC RELATED THE CONTROLS BECAME SO HEAVY THEY FELT AS THOUGH THEY HAD HIT A WALL. THE PIC WAS ABLE TO SLOW THE DECENT BUT NOT ABLE TO ARREST THE DECENT. THE AIRCRAFT SLOWLY DESCENDED THROUGH THE CORN AND APPEARED TO HOVER JUST OFF THE GROUND FOR ABOUT 80 YARDS. THE BELLY TANK UPROOTED ALL THE CORN IN N442JE?S PATH. THE COPILOT SKID TOUCHED DOWN, BROKE OFF AND FLIPPED N442JE ONTO ITS NOSE AS THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE MADE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND SPINNING THE AIRCRAFT 180°. WITH THE VIOLENT AND ABRUPT STOPPAGE AND SPIN, THE TAIL CONE SEPARATED AND WAS SLUNG AWAY FROM N442JE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.