Incident Overview
On Thursday, November 29, 2001, at approximately 12:30 local time, a single-engine Hiller UH-12-E helicopter with registration EC-ETG was involved in an accident during agricultural operations. The incident occurred at the "Los Martínez" farm within the municipality of Los Martínez del Puerto, Murcia.
Operational Context and Crew
The aircraft was engaged in commercial aerial applications, specifically spraying liquid treatment on a lettuce field. The pilot-in-command was a 60-year-old holder of a commercial helicopter license. He possessed a total flight experience of 15,580 hours, with approximately 20 hours logged on this specific helicopter type.
Sequence of Events
During one of the application passes, the pilot reported encountering a strong tailwind gust. This aerodynamic condition caused a sudden and uncontrolled descent of the aircraft. Despite the pilot's attempt to mitigate the situation by performing an emergency discharge of the spray system, the helicopter could not be stabilized in time. The landing skids struck the ground, causing the aircraft to roll onto its right side. During the rollover, both the main rotor blades and the tail rotor blades made contact with the terrain.
Damage and Aftermath
The helicopter sustained significant structural damage, including broken right skid, fractured main and tail rotor blades, and damaged spray booms. The pilot was able to exit the aircraft unassisted. There were no fuel leaks or subsequent fires. No other persons were injured, and no additional property damage was reported.
Analysis of Contributing Factors
The investigation highlighted that effective crop spraying required the helicopter to fly at a very low altitude, approximately 40 to 50 cm above the ground, given the height of the lettuce plants. This minimal clearance left the pilot with no margin for error or corrective action when the tailwind gust reduced lift and induced the rapid descent.