Accident Overview
On July 29, 2016, at approximately 900 central daylight time, a Hughes 269A helicopter (registration N269JB) sustained substantial damage when it struck crops and the ground near Morris, Minnesota. The pilot, who was conducting an aerial application flight under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137, reported no injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the local flight, which had departed approximately one hour earlier at 0800.
Pilot Account
According to the pilot, he was applying fungicide to a soybean field and was on his fourth load of the day. While flying east at an airspeed of 45 knots, he looked down at his navigation system to verify he was on course as he maneuvered for a spray pass. At that moment, the helicopter felt as though it was being pulled toward the ground and decelerating. When he attempted to correct, the helicopter's tail became entangled in the crop. Subsequently, the helicopter rotated 180 degrees, descended, and came to rest on its right side. The main rotor and fuselage sustained substantial damage.
Navigation System
The pilot stated that he used the DynaNav navigation system to control for drift and ensure proper overlap of the applied product. He noted that he had operated the system several times prior but was not overly familiar with its functions.