The pilot's failure to center the sling load prior to commencing forward flight. Also causal, was the pilot's improper decision to attempt a takeoff with a quartering tailwind, which resulted in an engine compressor stall.

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter during an aerial application maneuver. This put the helicopter in a low slow down wind, high power demand turn, where it encountered a loss of tail rotor effectiveness, and the subsequent collision with the marsh.