Incident Overview
The pilot of a helicopter reported that he and the owner were conducting a reconnaissance flight in preparation for a possible frost control flight the following morning. They were flying in the vicinity of an almond orchard, attempting to identify potential obstacles in the area.
Flight Maneuvers
The departure was west of the accident site and near the almond orchard. As the helicopter flew slowly over the north edge of the orchard, the pilot initiated a descent and slowed the helicopter to just above effective translational lift. He then turned southbound and noted a tailwind of 7 to 10 miles per hour.
Loss of Lift
The pilot reported that the tailwind, coupled with the descent, caused the helicopter to enter a settling with power condition. Due to the close proximity of the trees, the pilot stated that he was unable to perform a normal recovery, which would have involved lowering the collective and applying forward cyclic control.
Collision with Trees
The helicopter descended between a row of trees, and the main rotor blades struck the trees. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter before the accident.