20210719006949A

2021-07-19 1556L, N44BJ, Robinson R-44, hit power lines and crashed in a cornfield during 137 aerial application.

Witness stated that he had seen this aircraft in the area spraying for a few days. On this day the witness was driving east on the road south of the accident corn field. He saw the aircraft spraying in an east to west direction. He had watched the aircraft fly over the power lines a couple of times and then on the last west pass he witnessed the aircraft going under the power lines. The witness made note of it in that he thought it was nonstandard and dangerous. Shortly after pulling into the farm yard, about 400 yards east of the accident site, the witness heard a loud noise that shook the pole barn. Smoke was then seen coming from the cornfield. He immediately drove to the site, and his father who was at another farm about a half mile south came racing up on a quad. The son called 911, while the father decided to ram the quad through the corn to the fire. The father called out for anyone, then he saw the pilot in the burning wreckage. Flames were head high and the wreckage was about 3/4 burned. The father stated this was about 5 minutes from when he first heard the loud noise. Neither father nor son actually saw the impact pass. Prior to the fire truck there was an attempt to put out the fire with a hand extinguisher, but it was not enough to eliminate the flame.

Two power lines had been hit by the helicopter. They were the center and east lower lines from a set of 3. The west line was untouched. The center line was frayed and the east line was cut. The contact was midpoint between the poles which is the lowest sag point in the line. The power line measured 28 ft from the dirt, corn stalks were about 10 ft high, and the static R-44 helicopter is about 11 ft in height. The 137 operator says spray altitude is normally around 10 ft above the corn.

The direction of travel after power line contact was 082 degrees and the aircraft came to rest approximately 70 yards east of the power lines. For the first 20 yards the helicopter was above the corn, then it cut corn for 20 yards at a descending angle. Ground impact then occurred and the aircraft had a corn clearing ground scar for 30 yards before it came to rest inverted. At that point a post-crash fire ensued. The pilot was discovered to be in the cockpit.

Investigation showed a main rotor blade scar indicative of wire contact. The tail rotor was intact. A droop stop was found under the wires as well as many small pieces of canopy glass. The shattered canopy under the wires was the right canopy. The full left canopy glass was discovered in the post ground impact area fully intact. The pilot's headset and hat were found in the corn prior to aircraft ground impact along the line of travel. The R-44 manual states solo flight to be made from the right seat.

The ring gear made contact with the oil cooler and created a groove or smear mark indicative of rotation prior to ground impact. The magnetos were burned up in the post-crash fire. The engine could produce suction and compression, oil and fuel filters were clear, all suggest an operating engine.

The PIC had a revoked medical with a February 2021 notice sent to him. This made his may 2021 medical invalid. Medical issues are a result of an accident in 2020. An 8 inch orange foam ball was discovered on the scene. Fellow pilots said he flew with it to assist with back issues.