# Accident 20220816007829A: Robinson Helicopter Co R66, Millville, MN, August 16, 2022

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 16, 2022, 14:50 local time
- Place: Millville, MN
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Other, Specify
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Operator: 8ONG
- Location: 44.2300° N, 92.2707° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.2300&lon=-92.2707&mi=10
- Aircraft: N641RZ, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N641RZ) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R66 (registry code 7640130, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r66) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C300 series (registry code 54225, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rolls-royce-250-c300-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ROBINSON HELICOPTER CO R66
- Reported engine: ROLLS-ROYC 250-C300
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,020 total, 220 in this make and model, 230 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN22LA387](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22LA387) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220816007829A

## Narrative

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

2022-08-16 N641RZ ROBINSON R66 MILLVILLE MN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PART 137 AGRICULTURAL APPLICATION STRUCK POWER LINE.

AIRMAN COMPLETED EAST TO WEST RECON OF APPLICABLE FIELD, BEGAN SPRAYING EAST TO WEST, COMPLETED EAST TO WEST APPLICATION. TO FINISH THE WEST SIDE OF THE FIELD AIRMAN COMPLETED NORTH TO SOUTH RECON OF THE APPLICABLE FIELD, BEGAN SPRAYING NORTH TO SOUTH, APPROXIMATELY ¾ SOUTHBOUND, DETECTED POWER LINES ABOVE, LOWERED COLLECTIVE COMPLETELY IN AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID THE HAZARD IF POSSIBLE. POWER LINES MADE CONTACT TO THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES AND THE MAST JUST BELOW THE ROTOR BLADES CAUSING THE HELICOPTER TO PITCH UPWARD. TAIL ROTOR MADE CONTACT TO THE CORN DURING PITCH UP ATTITUDE. RIGHT SPIN WAS INDUCED, AFTER SEVERAL SPINS AND ATTEMPT TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE YAW, CONTACT WAS MADE WITH THE TAIL ROTOR AND VERTICAL STABILIZER TO A NEARBY STREET SIGN, AFTER UNCONTROLLED YAW WAS ARRESTED, LOW RPM DICTATED A HOVER AUTO TO GROUND. DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT INCLUDED BOTH MAIN ROTOR BLADES, BOTH TAIL ROTOR BLADES AND LOWER VERTICAL STABILIZER. AIRMAN WORKED WITH COMPANY OWNER AND CHIEF PILOT TO INITIATE NEW PROCEDURES TO MITIGATE RISK INCLUDING A MORE THOROUGH RECONNAISSANCE OF FIELD TO IDENTIFY HAZARDS PRIOR TO FIELD ENTRY.

## 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 CEN22LA387](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22LA387), Aug 16, 2022: Robinson Helicopter R66 (N641RZ), Millville, MN, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s inadequate inflight planning resulted in impact with a power line.

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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