What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot struck a power line while pollinating a field with a rotorcraft 2 nautical miles northwest of kscb resulting in damage to the main rotor blades and forced an emergency landing. Pilot noted the power lines on east end of field were closer to the crop rows than the west side of the field and a center pivot located south of the field while conducting an initial circumference flight. Shortly before completion of all the rows, the pilot completed a row, began turning back west, and while looking at the next target row, heard and felt a bang. Pilot instantly knew there was contact with the power lines and executed an emergency landing as primary concern was loss of tail rotor. Pilot stated rotorcraft came down more on the right skid, bounced, and yawed to the right. Pilot stated rotorcraft idle would not go below 70% idle, so pulled the fuel lean shut to shut down and shut down all electronics. Pilot stated there was no fire, nothing smelling hot, and no gas smell. Aircraft sustained damage to the main rotor blades from contact with the power line and sustained damage to landing skids and attachment points, as well as to the fuselage area from the landing.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT STRUCK A POWER LINE WHILE POLLINATING A FIELD WITH A ROTORCRAFT 2 NAUTICAL MILES NORTHWEST OF KSCB RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES AND FORCED AN EMERGENCY LANDING. PILOT NOTED THE POWER LINES ON EAST END OF FIELD WERE CLOSER TO THE CROP ROWS THAN THE WEST SIDE OF THE FIELD AND A CENTER PIVOT LOCATED SOUTH OF THE FIELD WHILE CONDUCTING AN INITIAL CIRCUMFERENCE FLIGHT. SHORTLY BEFORE COMPLETION OF ALL THE ROWS, THE PILOT COMPLETED A ROW, BEGAN TURNING BACK WEST, AND WHILE LOOKING AT THE NEXT TARGET ROW, HEARD AND FELT A BANG. PILOT INSTANTLY KNEW THERE WAS CONTACT WITH THE POWER LINES AND EXECUTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING AS PRIMARY CONCERN WAS LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR. PILOT STATED ROTORCRAFT CAME DOWN MORE ON THE RIGHT SKID, BOUNCED, AND YAWED TO THE RIGHT. PILOT STATED ROTORCRAFT IDLE WOULD NOT GO BELOW 70% IDLE, SO PULLED THE FUEL LEAN SHUT TO SHUT DOWN AND SHUT DOWN ALL ELECTRONICS. PILOT STATED THERE WAS NO FIRE, NOTHING SMELLING HOT, AND NO GAS SMELL. AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES FROM CONTACT WITH THE POWER LINE AND SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO LANDING SKIDS AND ATTACHMENT POINTS, AS WELL AS TO THE FUSELAGE AREA FROM THE LANDING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.