What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircraft was located in a farm field north east of Woodlawn IL. The lat/long of the accident scene is 38 degree 19 minutes 58 seconds north by 89 degrees 01 minutes 25 seconds west as shown on google earth. The scene of the accident is approximately 1/3 of a mile east of town on the south side of e butternut rd opposite the privacy data omitted cemetery.
The fuselage of the aircraft was found upright. The tail boom aft of boom extension station line (bes) 38.43 had separated from the fuselage and was located approximately 35 yards south east of the fuselage.
The tail boom was found in an upright position. The tail boom exhibited signs that it had been on it’s right side due to crushing of the right elevator and dirt smeared up the right side of the vertical fin. One tail rotor blade exhibited damage from striking the ground as judged by ground scarring near the boom and the damage to the blade and several stalks of corn that appeared to have been cut rather than broken.
The download of the agnav file that was shown to me during the interviews at the operators base shows that as the helicopter crosses trout road going west, it climbs to an altitude of 117 feet and remains well above the altitude that previous application passes were made it until the pilot begins descent towards the intended landing site. Additionally, the chemical spray is not turned back on after the aircraft crosses trout road.
The distance between the aircraft and trout road is approximately 700 yards.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED IN A FARM FIELD NORTH EAST OF WOODLAWN IL. THE LAT/LONG OF THE ACCIDENT SCENE IS 38 DEGREE 19 MINUTES 58 SECONDS NORTH BY 89 DEGREES 01 MINUTES 25 SECONDS WEST AS SHOWN ON GOOGLE EARTH. THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT IS APPROXIMATELY 1/3 OF A MILE EAST OF TOWN ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF E BUTTERNUT RD OPPOSITE THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CEMETERY.
THE FUSELAGE OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND UPRIGHT. THE TAIL BOOM AFT OF BOOM EXTENSION STATION LINE (BES) 38.43 HAD SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE AND WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 35 YARDS SOUTH EAST OF THE FUSELAGE.
THE TAIL BOOM WAS FOUND IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION. THE TAIL BOOM EXHIBITED SIGNS THAT IT HAD BEEN ON IT’S RIGHT SIDE DUE TO CRUSHING OF THE RIGHT ELEVATOR AND DIRT SMEARED UP THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE VERTICAL FIN. ONE TAIL ROTOR BLADE EXHIBITED DAMAGE FROM STRIKING THE GROUND AS JUDGED BY GROUND SCARRING NEAR THE BOOM AND THE DAMAGE TO THE BLADE AND SEVERAL STALKS OF CORN THAT APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN CUT RATHER THAN BROKEN.
THE DOWNLOAD OF THE AGNAV FILE THAT WAS SHOWN TO ME DURING THE INTERVIEWS AT THE OPERATORS BASE SHOWS THAT AS THE HELICOPTER CROSSES TROUT ROAD GOING WEST, IT CLIMBS TO AN ALTITUDE OF 117 FEET AND REMAINS WELL ABOVE THE ALTITUDE THAT PREVIOUS APPLICATION PASSES WERE MADE IT UNTIL THE PILOT BEGINS DESCENT TOWARDS THE INTENDED LANDING SITE. ADDITIONALLY, THE CHEMICAL SPRAY IS NOT TURNED BACK ON AFTER THE AIRCRAFT CROSSES TROUT ROAD.
THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE AIRCRAFT AND TROUT ROAD IS APPROXIMATELY 700 YARDS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.