What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Photo of the collective pushrod shows the metal rod broke (rod snapped in two).
The helicopter was flying low and slow conducting pipeline patrol. The pilot heard a loud pop and the helicopter started to descend. The pilot attempted to increase the collective (pitch) of the rotor blades to increase lift, but no response from the input, so the pilot moved over to a landing spot between some trees in an orchard. The helicopter landed hard enough to slightly bend one of the landing skids and collapse the tail boom. Pilot and lidar technician were not injured.
As the FAA filed it
PHOTO OF THE COLLECTIVE PUSHROD SHOWS THE METAL ROD BROKE (ROD SNAPPED IN TWO).
THE HELICOPTER WAS FLYING LOW AND SLOW CONDUCTING PIPELINE PATROL. THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD POP AND THE HELICOPTER STARTED TO DESCEND. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO INCREASE THE COLLECTIVE (PITCH) OF THE ROTOR BLADES TO INCREASE LIFT, BUT NO RESPONSE FROM THE INPUT, SO THE PILOT MOVED OVER TO A LANDING SPOT BETWEEN SOME TREES IN AN ORCHARD. THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD ENOUGH TO SLIGHTLY BEND ONE OF THE LANDING SKIDS AND COLLAPSE THE TAIL BOOM. PILOT AND LIDAR TECHNICIAN WERE NOT INJURED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.