What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
An interview of the PIC revealed the following. The accident occurred at the beginning of a part 137 operation using a hopper/bucket to spread fertilizer. The pilot picked up to a hover, and as is standard practice, observed the chin-bubble mounted mirror through his chin bubble to ensure that the external-load lines appeared normal e.g. not twisted or caught on anything. This was prior to lifting the load so there was no tension on the lines. The hopper was in front of the aircraft. Just beyond the hopper was a front-end loader/tractor.
After confirming the lines appeared appropriately oriented, the pilot executed a steady progressive take-off; it is not always a practice, prior to departure, to check the handling or CG of the aircraft upon the load becoming tight and off the ground. With the progressive take-off, the pilot sensing that the load was off the ground, he executed an immediate right turn out to avoid the front-end loader.
Initially the aircraft handled as it should while executing the right turnout. When the pilot attempted to arrest the right turn using normal control inputs, he could not. He stated that he then had to reposition his left leg to be able to apply full aft and left cyclic in an attempt to arrest the right turn and decent caused by a forward and right center of gravity (CG). From this point he was unable to gain control of the helicopter.
Looking at the chin-bubble mirror again, he determined that one of the lines had crossed over the toe of the right skid. This caused the out of CG condition to the right and forward. He opted to not jettison the load because he felt this would increase the out of CG condition by putting all of the hopper’s weight on the right skid verse being somewhat still distributed to the cargo hook.
From that point the PIC had little control of the helicopter and needed to get to it on the ground. He was over a large field at the time. His efforts to land the aircraft resulted in 360° descending turns. The aircraft crashed in a right turn with a nose-low attitude destroying the aircraft and injuring the PIC.
As the FAA filed it
AN INTERVIEW OF THE PIC REVEALED THE FOLLOWING. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT THE BEGINNING OF A PART 137 OPERATION USING A HOPPER/BUCKET TO SPREAD FERTILIZER. THE PILOT PICKED UP TO A HOVER, AND AS IS STANDARD PRACTICE, OBSERVED THE CHIN-BUBBLE MOUNTED MIRROR THROUGH HIS CHIN BUBBLE TO ENSURE THAT THE EXTERNAL-LOAD LINES APPEARED NORMAL E.G. NOT TWISTED OR CAUGHT ON ANYTHING. THIS WAS PRIOR TO LIFTING THE LOAD SO THERE WAS NO TENSION ON THE LINES. THE HOPPER WAS IN FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT. JUST BEYOND THE HOPPER WAS A FRONT-END LOADER/TRACTOR.
AFTER CONFIRMING THE LINES APPEARED APPROPRIATELY ORIENTED, THE PILOT EXECUTED A STEADY PROGRESSIVE TAKE-OFF; IT IS NOT ALWAYS A PRACTICE, PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, TO CHECK THE HANDLING OR CG OF THE AIRCRAFT UPON THE LOAD BECOMING TIGHT AND OFF THE GROUND. WITH THE PROGRESSIVE TAKE-OFF, THE PILOT SENSING THAT THE LOAD WAS OFF THE GROUND, HE EXECUTED AN IMMEDIATE RIGHT TURN OUT TO AVOID THE FRONT-END LOADER.
INITIALLY THE AIRCRAFT HANDLED AS IT SHOULD WHILE EXECUTING THE RIGHT TURNOUT. WHEN THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO ARREST THE RIGHT TURN USING NORMAL CONTROL INPUTS, HE COULD NOT. HE STATED THAT HE THEN HAD TO REPOSITION HIS LEFT LEG TO BE ABLE TO APPLY FULL AFT AND LEFT CYCLIC IN AN ATTEMPT TO ARREST THE RIGHT TURN AND DECENT CAUSED BY A FORWARD AND RIGHT CENTER OF GRAVITY (CG). FROM THIS POINT HE WAS UNABLE TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER.
LOOKING AT THE CHIN-BUBBLE MIRROR AGAIN, HE DETERMINED THAT ONE OF THE LINES HAD CROSSED OVER THE TOE OF THE RIGHT SKID. THIS CAUSED THE OUT OF CG CONDITION TO THE RIGHT AND FORWARD. HE OPTED TO NOT JETTISON THE LOAD BECAUSE HE FELT THIS WOULD INCREASE THE OUT OF CG CONDITION BY PUTTING ALL OF THE HOPPER’S WEIGHT ON THE RIGHT SKID VERSE BEING SOMEWHAT STILL DISTRIBUTED TO THE CARGO HOOK.
FROM THAT POINT THE PIC HAD LITTLE CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER AND NEEDED TO GET TO IT ON THE GROUND. HE WAS OVER A LARGE FIELD AT THE TIME. HIS EFFORTS TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT RESULTED IN 360° DESCENDING TURNS. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN A RIGHT TURN WITH A NOSE-LOW ATTITUDE DESTROYING THE AIRCRAFT AND INJURING THE PIC.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N868H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.