Accident Details
A Hughes 269B helicopter was involved in an accident while maneuvering at low altitude over an orchard. The pilot had been using the rotor wash to knock hazelnuts off trees. During the maneuver, the rotor RPM decreased below the green arc.
The pilot reported that he was unable to reduce the collective pitch because of the proximity of the trees. Insufficient forward acceleration prevented the rotor speed from being increased before the helicopter settled into the orchard.
Pilot Statement
After the accident, the pilot stated that he had taken on a passenger and filled the aircraft with fuel prior to the flight. He had not recomputed the performance data to account for the increased weight.
Aircraft and Operations
The helicopter involved was a Hughes 269B. The exact sequence of events leading to the rotor RPM decay was not specified beyond the pilot's actions during the low-level operation over the orchard.