# Incident 20140713011669I: Robinson Helicopter R44, Prairie City, IA, July 13, 2014

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 13, 2014, 06:56 local time
- Place: Prairie City, IA
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: 1TRG
- Location: 41.5954° N, 93.2393° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Prairie City, IA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.5954&lon=-93.2393&mi=10
- Aircraft: N230DM, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N230DM) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R44 (registry code 7640120, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r44) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O-540-F1B5 (registry code 42353, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-540-f1b5) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ROBINSON HELICOPTER R44
- Reported engine: LYCOMING O-540-F1B5
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 1,800 total, 1,200 in this make and model, 100 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140713011669I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

THE AIRMAN WAS PICKING UP THE AIRCRAFT IN KNOXVILLE, IOWA (OXV) AFTER UNDERGOING A REPAIR WITH THE INTENT OF REPOSITIONING THE AIRCRAFT TO GRINNELL, IOWA (GGI) IN ORDER TO BEGIN AERIAL APPLICATION WORK.  THE AIRMAN STATED THAT HE ENCOUNTERED GROUND FOG AFTER DEPARTURE AND CLIMBED OVER IT.  WHEN THE AIRMAN ARRIVED IN THE GRINNELL AREA THERE WERE NO LONGER ANY BREAKS IN THE FOG AND HE COULD NOT SEE THE GROUND.  UNABLE TO LAND THE AIRMAN CONTACTED DSM APPROACH TO ASK FOR ASSISTANCE IN ORDER TO FIND A PLACE TO LAND WITH BETTER WEATHER CONDITIONS.  THE CONTROLLER WAS UNABLE TO RADAR IDENTIFY THE AIRCRAFT.  THE PILOT STATED TO THE CONTROLLER THAT THE AIRCRAFT'S TRANSPONDER MIGHT NOT BE WORKING AFTER ACCEPTING THE CODE.  THE CONTROLLER WAS UNABLE TO INITIALLY SEE A PRIMARY TARGET.  THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO TELL THE CONTROLLER HIS ALTITUDE AND STATED THAT THE ALTIMETER MIGHT NOT BE WORKING.

AT THIS POINT THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON TOP OF THE FOG LAYER AND THE AIRMAN WAS UNSURE OF HIS POSITION AND HIS ALTITUDE.  DSM APPROACH COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE AIRCRAFT ON RADAR.  USING GPS APPLICATIONS ON HIS SMART PHONE THE AIRMAN WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE DSM APPROACH WITH HIS APPROXIMATE POSITION.  THE CONTROLLER WAS ABLE TO GIVE THE AIRMAN SUGGESTED HEADINGS TO THE WEST WITH THE INTENT THAT THE AIRCRAFT WOULD LAND AT THE DSM AIRPORT WHERE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE VASTLY IMPROVED. AROUND 16 MILES NORTHEAST OF DSM IN THE PRAIRIE CITY IOWA AREA THE AIRCRAFTS LOW FUEL LIGHT ILLUMINATED.  THE AIRMAN INITIATED AN IMMEDIATE DECENT THROUGH THE FOG LAYER USING THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR FOR REFERENCE.  THE AIRMAN EXITED THE FOG LAYER AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING IN A FIELD NEAR PRAIRIE CITY, IOWA.  THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE REPORTED.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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