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20250625012139A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Hawesville, KY · June 25, 2025

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 25, 2025 · 10:41 local
Place
Hawesville, KY
Phase of flight
Maneuver
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
5WKG
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N144WK
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA25LA240
Reported as
Robinson Helicopter R44 II
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
800 total650 in this make and model35 in the last 90 days
N144WKRegistered now · Robinson Helicopter R44 IIS/N 10639 · Built 2005Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R44 IIEngine 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.

Helicopter was performing agricultural spraying of a corn field when the main rotor mast struck a utility power line. The impact severed the blade links, and the fuselage impacted the ground on the left side in the direction of flight. The pilot sustained serious injuries because of the impact. There was no post accident fire or damage to property on the ground.

As the FAA filed it

HELICOPTER WAS PERFORMING AGRICULTURAL SPRAYING OF A CORN FIELD WHEN THE MAIN ROTOR MAST STRUCK A UTILITY POWER LINE. THE IMPACT SEVERED THE BLADE LINKS, AND THE FUSELAGE IMPACTED THE GROUND ON THE LEFT SIDE IN THE DIRECTION OF FLIGHT. THE PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT. THERE WAS NO POST ACCIDENT FIRE OR DAMAGE TO PROPERTY ON THE GROUND.

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 ERA25LA240Accident · Serious injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportHawesville, KYThe pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from power lines during low-level agricultural spray operations.Jun 25, 2025 · Substantial damage