# Accident 20260608006279A: Robinson Helicopter R44, Lynchburg, SC, June 8, 2026

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 8, 2026, 15:15 local time
- Place: Lynchburg, SC
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Maneuver
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Operator: 9LOG
- Location: 33.9902° N, 80.1408° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.9902&lon=-80.1408&mi=10
- Aircraft: N144CD, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N144CD) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R44 (registry code 7640120, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r44) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-540 series (registry code 41532, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ROBINSON HELICOPTER R44
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-540 SERIES
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 6,000 total, 3,000 in this make and model, 90 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA26LA234](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA234) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260608006279A

## Narrative

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

ON JUNE 8, 2026, AT 1515 (EDT), A ROBINSON ASTRO R-44 HELICOPTER STRUCK A HIGH-TENSION POWERLINE IN BETWEEN TWO CORN FIELDS AND SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACTED TERRAIN IN THE VICINITY OF LYNCHBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA. PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION FINDINGS HAVE IDENTIFIED THAT THE ROTORCRAFT'S RIGHT SKID AND AGRICULTURAL SPRAY BOOM ASSEMBLY BECAME ENTANGLED IN ONE OF THE THREE CABLES THAT RAN BETWEEN TWO WOODEN HIGH-TENSION POSTS ACROSS THE SPAN OF THE TWO FIELDS, ALONGSIDE OF A DIRT ACCESS ROAD. THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT ON THE HIGH-TENSION CABLES SEVERED APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET OFF ONE OF THE WOODEN POST AND KNOCKED DOWN THE OTHER, WHICH WAS APPROXIMATELY 900 FEET AWAY. THE ROTORCRAFT CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET FROM THE HIGH-TENSION POSTS STILL ENTANGLED WITH THE POWER CABLE. NO POST-CRASH FIRE OCCURRED BUT AN ELECTRICAL SPARK FROM THE HIGH-TENSION CABLE DID IGNITE A SMALL FIRE BY THE ROADSIDE APPROXIMATELY 75 FEET AWAY THAT WAS EXTINGUISHED BY LEE COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT. THERE WAS ONLY ONE PERSON ONBOARD, AND AN INJURY TO THE PILOT DID OCCUR. AN NTSB INVESTIGATOR HAS BEEN ASSIGNED AND HAS COORDINATED WITH INSURANCE FOR THE ROTORCRAFT’S REMOVAL FROM THE FIELD (ATLANTA AIR SALVAGE / 678-544-6332).

## 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 ERA26LA234](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA234), Jun 8, 2026: Robinson Helicopter R44 (N144CD), Mayesville, SC, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to remain clear of a power line during an aerial application flight.

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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