20260718009219A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 · Adair, IA · July 18, 2026

Date
July 18, 2026 · 17:08 local
Place
Adair, IA
Phase of flight
Maneuver
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
HC3G
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N484AT
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN26LA259
Reported as
Robinson Helicopter R44
Reported engine
Lycoming O-540-F1B5
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
2,023 total1,430 in this make and model180 in the last 90 days

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.

Pilot-in-command drooped rotor RPM while performing aerial application, then initiated an autorotation from a low altitude into a cornfield. Upon the main rotor system contacting mature corn, the rotorcraft rolled forward, coming to a rest on the skids.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT-IN-COMMAND DROOPED ROTOR RPM WHILE PERFORMING AERIAL APPLICATION, THEN INITIATED AN AUTOROTATION FROM A LOW ALTITUDE INTO A CORNFIELD. UPON THE MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM CONTACTING MATURE CORN, THE ROTORCRAFT ROLLED FORWARD, COMING TO A REST ON THE SKIDS.

NTSB investigation

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