Incident Details
A commercial helicopter pilot was conducting agricultural spraying operations over a cranberry field. During a swath run, numerous bees entered the cockpit through the vent window. The pilot was stung twice on the left arm and, while attempting to remove the bees, inadvertently pitched the helicopter up.
Sequence of Events
The helicopter climbed to approximately 35 feet above ground level, during which the rotor RPM decayed and the airspeed dropped to about 30 MPH. The pilot attempted to return to level flight and added power but realized the rotor RPM had decayed too much for a normal recovery. He reported aggressively flaring in an effort to reduce groundspeed. During the flare, the tail boom struck the ground, and subsequently the main rotor struck the tail boom. The helicopter yawed to the right and impacted the terrain.
Outcome
The helicopter sustained damage from the impact. The pilot's actions and the bee intrusion are described in the incident sequence. No further details on injuries or aircraft condition are specified in the source.