# Accident 20210720013309A: Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, West Liberty, IA, July 20, 2021

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 20, 2021, 05:20 local time
- Place: West Liberty, IA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Other, Specify
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Operator: 4VWG
- Location: 41.5700° N, 91.2638° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.5700&lon=-91.2638&mi=10
- Aircraft: N983HA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N983HA-2023-11-20) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R44 II (registry code 7640122, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r44-ii) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 (registry code 41899, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-ae1a5) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 16,000 total, 4,000 in this make and model, 100 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN21LA339](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA339) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210720013309A

## Narrative

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

THE MAIN ROTOR MAST STRUCK A WIRE. THE WIRE BROKE AND WAS TRAILING FROM THE HELICOPTER. THE WIRE BECAME ENTANGLED IN THE TAIL ROTOR CAUSING FAILURE OF THE TAIL ROTOR SYSTEM. THE HELICOPTER DESCENDED INTO THE CORN FIELD AND ROLLED ONTO ITS SIDE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CEN21LA339](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA339), Jul 20, 2021: Robinson Helicopter R44 II (N983HA), West Liberty, IA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to see and avoid a wire while maneuvering at low altitude during an aerial application flight, resulting in a collision with the wire.

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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