Incident Overview
An agricultural helicopter was involved in an accident during a spraying flight. The pilot had previously landed the helicopter to reload chemicals for another application. Shortly after departing the load site, the pilot heard a loud sound emanating from the engine area, followed by a sudden loss of power and vibration.
Emergency Response
In response to the power loss, the pilot immediately executed an autorotation to an open area. During the descent, the pilot misjudged the flare altitude, leading to a hard landing. The hard landing resulted in substantial damage to the helicopter.
Investigation Findings
A subsequent investigation revealed that the right magneto contact points had failed. This failure was identified as the cause of the engine power loss. No other contributing factors were noted in the source material.
Conclusion
The accident occurred due to a mechanical failure of the magneto, leading to an emergency maneuver that ended in a hard landing. The pilot's actions were in accordance with standard procedures, but the flare misjudgment contributed to the severity of the impact.