What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 20, 2019 at approximately 1915 hours, the Robinson R-66 agricultural helicopter sustained substantial damage and the 7000 hour airline transport pilot sustained serious injuries when it struck a one quarter inch diameter copper wire and wheat covered terrain in the vicinity of St Jacob, Illinois. The wire was approximately 25 feet above the wheat field and spanned from a pole in a line of trees adjacent to a road parallel to the field for a distance of 305 feet to a pole with a transformer at a pump station in the field. The single phase wire powered a light located on another pole in the pump station.
The aircraft departed the operator?s main base in salem, Missouri in VFR conditions with clear skies, light winds and unrestricted visibility at approximately 1600. The pilot arrived at the field after 1700. The pilot performed a high reconnaissance between 100 and 150 feet above the field to locate obstacles, wires, determine wind direction and establish a spray plan. Two adjacent fields were treated uneventfully using a north and south pattern. The pilot was making a final west to east clean up pass along the south end of the field when he saw the corroded green copper wire approximately 10 feet in front of the cockpit.
The pilot was not able to avoid contact with the wire as it struck the main rotor mast approximately 12 inches below the main rotor hub assembly. The wire did break at the point of contact due to the long span of the wire. The wire entangled in the helicopter main rotor system, mast and flight controls disabling the flight control system and dislodging the main transmission to the rear as the aircraft impacted the wheat field. The aircraft came to rest upright on its collapsed landing gear approximately 150 feet from the initial point of wire contact facing opposite the direction of travel.
The pilot sustained serious injuries but was able to extricate himself from the wreckage. He walked out of the field and obtained assistance from a company employee.
Counseling ptrs #CE03201902078
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 20, 2019 AT APPROXIMATELY 1915 HOURS, THE ROBINSON R-66 AGRICULTURAL HELICOPTER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE 7000 HOUR AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES WHEN IT STRUCK A ONE QUARTER INCH DIAMETER COPPER WIRE AND WHEAT COVERED TERRAIN IN THE VICINITY OF ST JACOB, ILLINOIS. THE WIRE WAS APPROXIMATELY 25 FEET ABOVE THE WHEAT FIELD AND SPANNED FROM A POLE IN A LINE OF TREES ADJACENT TO A ROAD PARALLEL TO THE FIELD FOR A DISTANCE OF 305 FEET TO A POLE WITH A TRANSFORMER AT A PUMP STATION IN THE FIELD. THE SINGLE PHASE WIRE POWERED A LIGHT LOCATED ON ANOTHER POLE IN THE PUMP STATION.
THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE OPERATOR?S MAIN BASE IN SALEM, MISSOURI IN VFR CONDITIONS WITH CLEAR SKIES, LIGHT WINDS AND UNRESTRICTED VISIBILITY AT APPROXIMATELY 1600. THE PILOT ARRIVED AT THE FIELD AFTER 1700. THE PILOT PERFORMED A HIGH RECONNAISSANCE BETWEEN 100 AND 150 FEET ABOVE THE FIELD TO LOCATE OBSTACLES, WIRES, DETERMINE WIND DIRECTION AND ESTABLISH A SPRAY PLAN. TWO ADJACENT FIELDS WERE TREATED UNEVENTFULLY USING A NORTH AND SOUTH PATTERN. THE PILOT WAS MAKING A FINAL WEST TO EAST CLEAN UP PASS ALONG THE SOUTH END OF THE FIELD WHEN HE SAW THE CORRODED GREEN COPPER WIRE APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET IN FRONT OF THE COCKPIT.
THE PILOT WAS NOT ABLE TO AVOID CONTACT WITH THE WIRE AS IT STRUCK THE MAIN ROTOR MAST APPROXIMATELY 12 INCHES BELOW THE MAIN ROTOR HUB ASSEMBLY. THE WIRE DID BREAK AT THE POINT OF CONTACT DUE TO THE LONG SPAN OF THE WIRE. THE WIRE ENTANGLED IN THE HELICOPTER MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM, MAST AND FLIGHT CONTROLS DISABLING THE FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM AND DISLODGING THE MAIN TRANSMISSION TO THE REAR AS THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE WHEAT FIELD. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST UPRIGHT ON ITS COLLAPSED LANDING GEAR APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET FROM THE INITIAL POINT OF WIRE CONTACT FACING OPPOSITE THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL.
THE PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES BUT WAS ABLE TO EXTRICATE HIMSELF FROM THE WRECKAGE. HE WALKED OUT OF THE FIELD AND OBTAINED ASSISTANCE FROM A COMPANY EMPLOYEE.
COUNSELING PTRS #CE03201902078
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.