What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 19, 2024, at 1308 eastern daylight time, a Bell OH-58A helicopter was substantially damaged when it was involved in an off-airport accident in Hegins, PA. The helicopter was operated in accordance with title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 137 agricultural aircraft operations. The pilot in command (PIC) was conducting an aerial application of a fungicide to a 21-acre corn field when the accident occurred.
Upon arrival to the application site, the PIC conducted an aerial reconnaissance of the field to identify obstacles, hazards to flight, and noise sensitive areas. The PIC performed a counterclockwise flight around the field and further divided the field into 4 sections based on identified wires, houses, wind, and slope of the terrain. The PIC identified wires along the eastern tree line of section 4 running from the southeast corner and extending into the southern 1/3 of the overall field (sections 1-4). The wires terminated at a pole in the lower 1/3 of the overall field and joined another set of wires running perpendicular (northwest/southeast) across the overall field. The PIC used the perpendicular wires as a dividing point between sections 3 and 4 and sprayed a guideline along the north side of the wires to highlight the location of the wire hazard on the dispensing equipment screen.
The PIC completed spraying sections 1-3 and setup to spray section 4 in a north to south pattern. The PIC utilized the guideline as an approach point and to ensure clearance of the wire hazard. The PIC then descended and leveled off at the appropriate spray height. After leveling off, the PIC identified a loosely strung single powerline originating from a pole in the southeast tree line running across the flight path to a pole on the west side of the field. The PIC estimated the height of the wire to be between 10 – 12 feet above the corn at the highest point and 4 – 5 feet at the lowest point. The PIC attempted to clear the powerline by climbing but did not have sufficient time to react. The PIC stated the aircraft contacted the powerline and developed a very rough vertical bounce followed by a rapid decrease in rotor speed. Unable to maintain flight, the PIC entered a power-on autorotative decent for landing. Upon touchdown, the aircraft rolled onto its right side. The PIC was uninjured during the accident. The PIC stated the aircraft was functioning normally at the time of the accident.
A post-accident examination of the aircraft at the accident site revealed a single-phase powerline wrapped around the main rotor mast ten times. The powerline was green in color and very difficult to see over the backdrop of the green corn field.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 19, 2024, AT 1308 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL OH-58A HELICOPTER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN OFF-AIRPORT ACCIDENT IN HEGINS, PA. THE HELICOPTER WAS OPERATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 137 AGRICULTURAL AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS. THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) WAS CONDUCTING AN AERIAL APPLICATION OF A FUNGICIDE TO A 21-ACRE CORN FIELD WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED.
UPON ARRIVAL TO THE APPLICATION SITE, THE PIC CONDUCTED AN AERIAL RECONNAISSANCE OF THE FIELD TO IDENTIFY OBSTACLES, HAZARDS TO FLIGHT, AND NOISE SENSITIVE AREAS. THE PIC PERFORMED A COUNTERCLOCKWISE FLIGHT AROUND THE FIELD AND FURTHER DIVIDED THE FIELD INTO 4 SECTIONS BASED ON IDENTIFIED WIRES, HOUSES, WIND, AND SLOPE OF THE TERRAIN. THE PIC IDENTIFIED WIRES ALONG THE EASTERN TREE LINE OF SECTION 4 RUNNING FROM THE SOUTHEAST CORNER AND EXTENDING INTO THE SOUTHERN 1/3 OF THE OVERALL FIELD (SECTIONS 1-4). THE WIRES TERMINATED AT A POLE IN THE LOWER 1/3 OF THE OVERALL FIELD AND JOINED ANOTHER SET OF WIRES RUNNING PERPENDICULAR (NORTHWEST/SOUTHEAST) ACROSS THE OVERALL FIELD. THE PIC USED THE PERPENDICULAR WIRES AS A DIVIDING POINT BETWEEN SECTIONS 3 AND 4 AND SPRAYED A GUIDELINE ALONG THE NORTH SIDE OF THE WIRES TO HIGHLIGHT THE LOCATION OF THE WIRE HAZARD ON THE DISPENSING EQUIPMENT SCREEN.
THE PIC COMPLETED SPRAYING SECTIONS 1-3 AND SETUP TO SPRAY SECTION 4 IN A NORTH TO SOUTH PATTERN. THE PIC UTILIZED THE GUIDELINE AS AN APPROACH POINT AND TO ENSURE CLEARANCE OF THE WIRE HAZARD. THE PIC THEN DESCENDED AND LEVELED OFF AT THE APPROPRIATE SPRAY HEIGHT. AFTER LEVELING OFF, THE PIC IDENTIFIED A LOOSELY STRUNG SINGLE POWERLINE ORIGINATING FROM A POLE IN THE SOUTHEAST TREE LINE RUNNING ACROSS THE FLIGHT PATH TO A POLE ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE FIELD. THE PIC ESTIMATED THE HEIGHT OF THE WIRE TO BE BETWEEN 10 – 12 FEET ABOVE THE CORN AT THE HIGHEST POINT AND 4 – 5 FEET AT THE LOWEST POINT. THE PIC ATTEMPTED TO CLEAR THE POWERLINE BY CLIMBING BUT DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT TIME TO REACT. THE PIC STATED THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE POWERLINE AND DEVELOPED A VERY ROUGH VERTICAL BOUNCE FOLLOWED BY A RAPID DECREASE IN ROTOR SPEED. UNABLE TO MAINTAIN FLIGHT, THE PIC ENTERED A POWER-ON AUTOROTATIVE DECENT FOR LANDING. UPON TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED ONTO ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE PIC WAS UNINJURED DURING THE ACCIDENT. THE PIC STATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS FUNCTIONING NORMALLY AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
A POST-ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT AT THE ACCIDENT SITE REVEALED A SINGLE-PHASE POWERLINE WRAPPED AROUND THE MAIN ROTOR MAST TEN TIMES. THE POWERLINE WAS GREEN IN COLOR AND VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE OVER THE BACKDROP OF THE GREEN CORN FIELD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.