20230731014299A

Pilot was flying a UH-1H helicopter, spraying a cornfield. During a turnaround, the helicopter initiated a climbing left turn but suddenly turned right (instead of left to continue spraying the field) and crashed in a nose-low attitude. The helicopter was on a northerly heading or turning to the north as the tail was spinning clockwise. The main wreckage was facing south after impact due to the helicopter spinning approximately 180 degrees due to spinning tail boom (according to witness and adsb data). The helicopter's tail was severed and broken and sat approximately 90 degrees to the fuselage, with the tail facing easterly. The main body of the helicopter was on a southerly heading. The main rotor separated and was lying slightly southwest of the aircraft's main body by roughly 20 feet. Debris was scattered up to roughly 75 feet from the helicopter's main impact site, roughly west to north sector from the helicopter's main impact site. The pilot had been flying since 07:14 am and appeared to have no breaks (according to adsb data) other than refueling and getting more chemicals until the helicopter impacted the ground at approximately 01:05 pm. NTSB reported ~25 gallons of jet fuel was drained from the tank. Agricultural chemical was still found in the spray tanks. A 911 call came in at 01:12 CT, and the witness indicated that they had seen the helicopter heading north when it hit the ground and a big plume of brown dust came up. No fire or smoke reported after impact dust had settled. The helicopter came to rest in a cornfield and was located by police. Weather was clear with 10 miles visibility or greater, VMC conditions with wind 040 at 6 knots. Temperature was 28, and dewpoint was 19 with altimeter 30.15, according to the AWOS at sparta community hunter field (ksar) the nearest airport.