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20210528022879I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Yamaha Motor RMAX · St. Helena, CA · May 28, 2021

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 28, 2021 · 07:45 local
Place
St. Helena, CA
Phase of flight
Hover/Holding
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
8YAG
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N546XY
Reported as
Yamaha Motor Rmax
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
N546XYRegistration cancelled Dec 20, 2024 · Yamaha Motor RMAXS/N L27-3-100117Airframe modelYamaha Motor RMAX

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 stated they had already done a test flight and were loading the first load of chemicals to spray for the day. Pilot stated the loading site was about 500 feet from their starting point. Pilot stated they took the drone off and brought the drone to a stable hover. Pilot stated that as they were repositioning themselves, the drone began a slow descent. Pilot stated by the time they realized the drone was descending, it had descended below the tops of the vines. Pilot stated they tried to recover the drone , but the drone was already entangled in vines. Pilot stated they tried to recover the aircraft, but the drone was entangled in vines and they couldn't make it climb. The pilot stated the drone the main rotor struck a support pole and the helicopter settled crossways between rows with significant damage to main rotor blades, tail rotor, land skids and cowl. Pilot stated there were no chemical, fuel, or oil spills and no injuries or significant property damage.

The drone has a max gross takeoff weight of less than 300 lbs and therefore this event is not considered as an unmanned aircraft accident per 49 CFR 830.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT STATED THEY HAD ALREADY DONE A TEST FLIGHT AND WERE LOADING THE FIRST LOAD OF CHEMICALS TO SPRAY FOR THE DAY. PILOT STATED THE LOADING SITE WAS ABOUT 500 FEET FROM THEIR STARTING POINT. PILOT STATED THEY TOOK THE DRONE OFF AND BROUGHT THE DRONE TO A STABLE HOVER. PILOT STATED THAT AS THEY WERE REPOSITIONING THEMSELVES, THE DRONE BEGAN A SLOW DESCENT. PILOT STATED BY THE TIME THEY REALIZED THE DRONE WAS DESCENDING, IT HAD DESCENDED BELOW THE TOPS OF THE VINES. PILOT STATED THEY TRIED TO RECOVER THE DRONE , BUT THE DRONE WAS ALREADY ENTANGLED IN VINES. PILOT STATED THEY TRIED TO RECOVER THE AIRCRAFT, BUT THE DRONE WAS ENTANGLED IN VINES AND THEY COULDN'T MAKE IT CLIMB. THE PILOT STATED THE DRONE THE MAIN ROTOR STRUCK A SUPPORT POLE AND THE HELICOPTER SETTLED CROSSWAYS BETWEEN ROWS WITH SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO MAIN ROTOR BLADES, TAIL ROTOR, LAND SKIDS AND COWL. PILOT STATED THERE WERE NO CHEMICAL, FUEL, OR OIL SPILLS AND NO INJURIES OR SIGNIFICANT PROPERTY DAMAGE.

THE DRONE HAS A MAX GROSS TAKEOFF WEIGHT OF LESS THAN 300 LBS AND THEREFORE THIS EVENT IS NOT CONSIDERED AS AN UNMANNED AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT PER 49 CFR 830.