What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 30, 2026, at approximately 1730 a privacy data omitted helicopter was traversing between fields where it was spraying agricultural products, when the pilot witnessed a part sling away from above the canopy out and away to the right front quarter of the aircraft. This was followed by an extreme vibration in the cyclic, which caused the pilot to elect to make an emergency landing. The landing was successful but caused the rotor head to slap down against the tail boom partially shearing the boom and causing additional damage to accompanying components. The pilot sustained no injuries and there was no post landing fire. Weather conditions: winds from the east, north-east at 9 knots, scattered clouds at 12,000 feet, visibility 10+ miles. A sheared “control rotor cuff and trunnion assembly” was found approximately 100 yards behind and to the right of where the aircraft landed.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 30, 2026, AT APPROXIMATELY 1730 A ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HELICOPTER WAS TRAVERSING BETWEEN FIELDS WHERE IT WAS SPRAYING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS, WHEN THE PILOT WITNESSED A PART SLING AWAY FROM ABOVE THE CANOPY OUT AND AWAY TO THE RIGHT FRONT QUARTER OF THE AIRCRAFT. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY AN EXTREME VIBRATION IN THE CYCLIC, WHICH CAUSED THE PILOT TO ELECT TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING. THE LANDING WAS SUCCESSFUL BUT CAUSED THE ROTOR HEAD TO SLAP DOWN AGAINST THE TAIL BOOM PARTIALLY SHEARING THE BOOM AND CAUSING ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO ACCOMPANYING COMPONENTS. THE PILOT SUSTAINED NO INJURIES AND THERE WAS NO POST LANDING FIRE. WEATHER CONDITIONS: WINDS FROM THE EAST, NORTH-EAST AT 9 KNOTS, SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 12,000 FEET, VISIBILITY 10+ MILES. A SHEARED “CONTROL ROTOR CUFF AND TRUNNION ASSEMBLY” WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS BEHIND AND TO THE RIGHT OF WHERE THE AIRCRAFT LANDED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.