20260809012429A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 · Macedonia, IA · August 9, 2026

Date
August 9, 2026 · 11:30 local
Place
Macedonia, IA
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
4CDG
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N197HL
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC26LA082
Reported as
Robinson Helicopter R44
Reported engine
Lycoming O-540-F1B5
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
2,201 total1,600 in this make and model228 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.

Aircraft failed to maintain a positive rate-of-climb and adequate rotor RPM after takeoff from the tender truck resulting in hard landing in corn field.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT FAILED TO MAINTAIN A POSITIVE RATE-OF-CLIMB AND ADEQUATE ROTOR RPM AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THE TENDER TRUCK RESULTING IN HARD LANDING IN 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.