20120724015629I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Garlick Helicopters OH-58C · Waukon, IA · July 24, 2012

Date
July 24, 2012 · 14:00 local
Place
Waukon, IA
Airport
N/A
Phase of flight
Other, Specify
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
K4GG
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N8092J
Reported as
Garlick Helicopters OH-58C
Reported engine
Allison T63 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
9,800 total1,000 in this make and model120 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

The airman was conducting aerial application of chemical to a corn field. The airman stated that during his aerial survey of the field prior to the application he had identified the electrical transmission wires he eventually struck. The airman stated he had completed application to one side of the field and started application to another section of the field on the other side of the wires. The airman made one pass and estimated his speed to be 45 KIAS when he struck and broke the top wire. The airman stated he was watching trees and the uneven sloping terrain that were also in the vicinity of the wires. After the strike,the airman determined he had control of aircraft and landed without incident in an open area of the cornfield near the wire strike site.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRMAN WAS CONDUCTING AERIAL APPLICATION OF CHEMICAL TO A CORN FIELD. THE AIRMAN STATED THAT DURING HIS AERIAL SURVEY OF THE FIELD PRIOR TO THE APPLICATION HE HAD IDENTIFIED THE ELECTRICAL TRANSMISSION WIRES HE EVENTUALLY STRUCK. THE AIRMAN STATED HE HAD COMPLETED APPLICATION TO ONE SIDE OF THE FIELD AND STARTED APPLICATION TO ANOTHER SECTION OF THE FIELD ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIRES. THE AIRMAN MADE ONE PASS AND ESTIMATED HIS SPEED TO BE 45 KIAS WHEN HE STRUCK AND BROKE THE TOP WIRE. THE AIRMAN STATED HE WAS WATCHING TREES AND THE UNEVEN SLOPING TERRAIN THAT WERE ALSO IN THE VICINITY OF THE WIRES. AFTER THE STRIKE,THE AIRMAN DETERMINED HE HAD CONTROL OF AIRCRAFT AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT IN AN OPEN AREA OF THE CORNFIELD NEAR THE WIRE STRIKE SITE.