20220731007659A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Marshall, MO · July 31, 2022

Date: July 31, 2022 · 13:50 local
Place: Marshall, MO
Phase of flight: Maneuver
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: 4CDG
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N458SG
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN22LA350
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
Pilot’s flight hours: 4,104 total2,005 in this make and model298 in the last 90 days

N458SGRegistered now · Robinson Helicopter R44 IIS/N 10458 · Built 2004 Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R44 II Engine modelLycoming IO-540-AE1A5Reciprocating

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.

This aircraft was performing agricultural spraying operations over crops in an open field. The pilot stated that he had just finished a spraying pass heading east and was maneuvering 180 degrees to continue with another pass over the field back to the west. After making turn the pilot stated he had begun his diving approach to the field when he struck a power line that was located in his approach path just east of the field he was spraying. Striking the power line caused damage to the aircraft and caused the pilot to lose the ability to control the aircraft. The aircraft continued in a forward direction and contacted the terrain approximately 440 feet from the point of impact with the power line then came to rest in the field the pilot was spraying approximately 140 feet from the point of impact with the terrain. The aircraft was found resting on its right side with the nose facing a northwest direction.

As the FAA filed it

THIS AIRCRAFT WAS PERFORMING AGRICULTURAL SPRAYING OPERATIONS OVER CROPS IN AN OPEN FIELD. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD JUST FINISHED A SPRAYING PASS HEADING EAST AND WAS MANEUVERING 180 DEGREES TO CONTINUE WITH ANOTHER PASS OVER THE FIELD BACK TO THE WEST. AFTER MAKING TURN THE PILOT STATED HE HAD BEGUN HIS DIVING APPROACH TO THE FIELD WHEN HE STRUCK A POWER LINE THAT WAS LOCATED IN HIS APPROACH PATH JUST EAST OF THE FIELD HE WAS SPRAYING. STRIKING THE POWER LINE CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND CAUSED THE PILOT TO LOSE THE ABILITY TO CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED IN A FORWARD DIRECTION AND CONTACTED THE TERRAIN APPROXIMATELY 440 FEET FROM THE POINT OF IMPACT WITH THE POWER LINE THEN CAME TO REST IN THE FIELD THE PILOT WAS SPRAYING APPROXIMATELY 140 FEET FROM THE POINT OF IMPACT WITH THE TERRAIN. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND RESTING ON ITS RIGHT SIDE WITH THE NOSE FACING A NORTHWEST DIRECTION.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN22LA350Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportMarshall, MOThe pilot’s failure to adequately survey a field for obstructions prior to a low-level aerial application pass, which resulted in an impact with a powerline.Jul 31, 2022 · Substantial damage