What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 9, 2023, an OH-58 helicopter crashed while in the process of dispensing agricultural pesticides. The PIC of the accident helicopter described what he thought was an engine failure that occurred during an agricultural turn.
Conducted an interview with the accident pilot. Pilot was uninjured with the exception of a sore shoulder. After he commenced spraying the field, he noted that the winds were variable throughout the duration of the his flight. The pilot had to constantly reposition the accompanying ground crew in order to have them water down the ground appropriately. He finished his first load and returned to loading area for more fuel and chemicals. The pilot then returned to the field to finish spraying.
The accident pilot once again noticed that the winds were unpredictable and due to the shape of the field ended up performing the first pass downwind. The accident pilot ended the first pass and began a left-hand, 180 degree turn back to the field to set up for another pass. Half-way through the turn the pilot experienced a loss of engine power and hydraulics at an altitude of about 100 ft. the pilot did not have time to perform a full emergency landing/autorotation. The right skid made contact with the ground while the helicopter still had forward momentum and left a 40 ft. skid mark in the packed down dirt. The left skid subsequently came down on the bank of the nearby canal that had substantially softer dirt. This resulted in the left skid digging into the dirt and caused the helicopter to flip over onto its right side (PIC side).
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 9, 2023, AN OH-58 HELICOPTER CRASHED WHILE IN THE PROCESS OF DISPENSING AGRICULTURAL PESTICIDES. THE PIC OF THE ACCIDENT HELICOPTER DESCRIBED WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS AN ENGINE FAILURE THAT OCCURRED DURING AN AGRICULTURAL TURN.
CONDUCTED AN INTERVIEW WITH THE ACCIDENT PILOT. PILOT WAS UNINJURED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A SORE SHOULDER. AFTER HE COMMENCED SPRAYING THE FIELD, HE NOTED THAT THE WINDS WERE VARIABLE THROUGHOUT THE DURATION OF THE HIS FLIGHT. THE PILOT HAD TO CONSTANTLY REPOSITION THE ACCOMPANYING GROUND CREW IN ORDER TO HAVE THEM WATER DOWN THE GROUND APPROPRIATELY. HE FINISHED HIS FIRST LOAD AND RETURNED TO LOADING AREA FOR MORE FUEL AND CHEMICALS. THE PILOT THEN RETURNED TO THE FIELD TO FINISH SPRAYING.
THE ACCIDENT PILOT ONCE AGAIN NOTICED THAT THE WINDS WERE UNPREDICTABLE AND DUE TO THE SHAPE OF THE FIELD ENDED UP PERFORMING THE FIRST PASS DOWNWIND. THE ACCIDENT PILOT ENDED THE FIRST PASS AND BEGAN A LEFT-HAND, 180 DEGREE TURN BACK TO THE FIELD TO SET UP FOR ANOTHER PASS. HALF-WAY THROUGH THE TURN THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND HYDRAULICS AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 100 FT. THE PILOT DID NOT HAVE TIME TO PERFORM A FULL EMERGENCY LANDING/AUTOROTATION. THE RIGHT SKID MADE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND WHILE THE HELICOPTER STILL HAD FORWARD MOMENTUM AND LEFT A 40 FT. SKID MARK IN THE PACKED DOWN DIRT. THE LEFT SKID SUBSEQUENTLY CAME DOWN ON THE BANK OF THE NEARBY CANAL THAT HAD SUBSTANTIALLY SOFTER DIRT. THIS RESULTED IN THE LEFT SKID DIGGING INTO THE DIRT AND CAUSED THE HELICOPTER TO FLIP OVER ONTO ITS RIGHT SIDE (PIC SIDE).
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.