20170807016959I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Dubuque, IA · August 7, 2017

Date
August 7, 2017 · 17:30 local
Place
Dubuque, IA
Airport
Dubuque Regional Airport
Phase of flight
Other, Specify
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
3OLG
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N64PE
Reported as
Robinson Helicopter R44 II
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,500 total1,350 in this make and model400 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.

Pilot was conducting agricultural dispensing operations and struck a wire in middle of the field. Power lines were running down middle of the field pilot was dispensing chemicals in. Pilot stated his rotor tip must have been closer to wire than he thought when trimming up the field. Pilot heard a thud and felt a brief shudder then the helicopter continued to operate normally. He proceded to land on trailer near edge of the field with no adverse flight characteristics noted. Upon inspection the pilot stated he saw scuff marks on the rotor blade about 3 inches from the tip. Helicopter is being taken for inspection by mechanic.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT WAS CONDUCTING AGRICULTURAL DISPENSING OPERATIONS AND STRUCK A WIRE IN MIDDLE OF THE FIELD. POWER LINES WERE RUNNING DOWN MIDDLE OF THE FIELD PILOT WAS DISPENSING CHEMICALS IN. PILOT STATED HIS ROTOR TIP MUST HAVE BEEN CLOSER TO WIRE THAN HE THOUGHT WHEN TRIMMING UP THE FIELD. PILOT HEARD A THUD AND FELT A BRIEF SHUDDER THEN THE HELICOPTER CONTINUED TO OPERATE NORMALLY. HE PROCEDED TO LAND ON TRAILER NEAR EDGE OF THE FIELD WITH NO ADVERSE FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS NOTED. UPON INSPECTION THE PILOT STATED HE SAW SCUFF MARKS ON THE ROTOR BLADE ABOUT 3 INCHES FROM THE TIP. HELICOPTER IS BEING TAKEN FOR INSPECTION BY MECHANIC.