# NTSB investigations, IL: Low altitude operation/event

NTSB aviation accident and incident investigations since 1962: the probable cause, findings, aircraft, crew, weather and docket of each, linked to the FAA registry and the FAA’s own reports.

## Latest cases

- [NTSB CEN25LA283](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA283.md): Air Tractor AT-301 · Hartsburg, IL · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jul 23, 2025 · N2371V · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during takeoff with a tailwind from a wet turf airstrip.
- [NTSB CEN25LA266](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA266.md): Bell B206-B · Bloomington, IL · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jul 18, 2025 · N975TR · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to avoid power lines during an aerial application flight.
- [NTSB CEN24LA276](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN24LA276.md): Bell 206 · Cornland, IL · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jul 21, 2024 · N26UK · Substantial damage
  > The pilot was unable to see a wire due to the setting sun and the helicopter subsequently struck the wire.
- [NTSB CEN23LA341](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA341.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Arthur, IL · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jul 31, 2023 · N644ME · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from trees during a low-level aerial application flight.
- [NTSB CEN21LA421](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA421.md): Robinson Helicopter R66 · Reynoldsville, IL · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Sep 15, 2021 · N166LW · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from the wire during low altitude operations in windy conditions.
- [NTSB CEN20CA308](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20CA308.md): Maule MXT7 · Hillsboro, IL · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report · Jul 26, 2020 · N772TW · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack while attempting to avoid a deer during landing, resulting in an aerodynamic stall.
- [NTSB CEN20FA110](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20FA110.md): Cessna 172 · Lincoln, IL · Accident · 3 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Mar 3, 2020 · N157SF · Destroyed
  > The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during an aerial survey, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at an altitude too low to recover.
- [NTSB GAA19CA481](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA19CA481.md): Robinson R66 · Vandalia, IL · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Aug 2, 2019 · N1767L · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from power lines during an agricultural application flight.
- [NTSB GAA19CA278](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA19CA278.md): Bell 206 · Pittsfield, IL · Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report · May 23, 2019 · N158H · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from rising terrain during agricultural application operations.
- [NTSB CEN15FA378](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15FA378.md): Cessna 172 · Martinville, IL · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Aug 21, 2015 · N8265B · Substantial damage
  > The non-certificated pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain.
- [NTSB CEN15LA341](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15LA341.md): Hughes 269B · Atkinson, IL · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Aug 5, 2015 · N9427F · Destroyed
  > The pilot's improper decision to intentionally fly the helicopter at a low altitude and his subsequent failure to maintain clearance from a power line.
- [NTSB CEN14LA423](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN14LA423.md): Bell 47G 5 · Mansfield, IL · Accident · 1 fatal · Limited investigation · Final report · Aug 12, 2014 · N7089J · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from power lines during low-altitude flight in gusting wind conditions following his use of a sedating medication.
- [NTSB CEN13LA442](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13LA442.md): Texas Helicopter OH-13H/M74A · Streator, IL · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jul 29, 2013 · N10009 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's diverted attention during an agricultural application maneuver, which resulted in the helicopter impacting a corn field.
- [NTSB CEN13LA448](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13LA448.md): Robinson R44 · Capron, IL · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jul 28, 2013 · N9681R · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain main rotor speed while maneuvering at low altitude during an agricultural application flight, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent into terrain.
- [NTSB CEN13LA447](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13LA447.md): Bell 206B · Tamaroa, IL · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jul 19, 2013 · N23L · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain during an agricultural application maneuver.
- [NTSB CEN13LA425](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13LA425.md): Air Tractor AT-400 · Steward, IL · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jul 19, 2013 · N155HF · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the guy wires during an aerial application maneuver. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to identify potential obstructions in the area before beginning low-altitude maneuvers.
- [NTSB CEN13FA089](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13FA089.md): Beech 58 · Manhattan, IL · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Dec 4, 2012 · N4016A · Substantial damage
  > An in-flight loss of control and impact with terrain for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
- [NTSB CEN11CA547](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN11CA547.md): Luscombe 8 · Poplar Grove, IL · Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jul 23, 2011 · N2844K · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's decision to not use all available runway length and his failure to abort the takeoff.
- [NTSB CEN11FA337](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN11FA337.md): Bell OH-58C · New Athens, IL · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · May 12, 2011 · N9263Y · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to attain sufficient altitude to clear terrain while maneuvering.
- [NTSB CEN10CA411](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN10CA411.md): Continental Copters Tomcat MK6B · Blackstone, IL · Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jul 15, 2010 · N17H · Substantial damage
  > The helicopter encountered a dust devil at a low altitude during the aerial application flight.
- [NTSB CEN09CA514](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN09CA514.md): Air Tractor AT-301 · DeWitt, IL · Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report · Aug 10, 2009 · N5018S · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the tree during the aerial application maneuver.
- [NTSB CEN09LA488](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN09LA488.md): Piontkowski Challenger · Kankakee, IL · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Aug 3, 2009 · N4526G · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the telephone line and his poor judgment to fly while under the influence of alcohol. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's impairment due to the alcohol consumption.
- [NTSB CEN09LA355](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN09LA355.md): Aero Commander S2R · Cordova, IL · Accident · 1 fatal · Limited investigation · Final report · Jun 12, 2009 · N1734S · Destroyed
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance with terrain after clearing an obstacle during an agricultural application pass.
- [NTSB CHI08CA212](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI08CA212.md): Ayres S2R-T34 · Clinton, IL · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jul 24, 2008 · N357CA · Substantial damage
  > The inadequate in-flight planning/decision making and the altitude/clearance not maintained by the pilot during the aerial application. A contributing factor was the guy wire.
- [NTSB CHI08CA079](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI08CA079.md): Cessna 172RG · Litchfield, IL · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Feb 8, 2008 · N4726V · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's intentional low altitude flight and his failure to maintain clearance from the static wire. Contributing to the accident were the static wire, the partial loss of engine power due to propeller vibration, and the muddy field in which the forced…

## The whole list in SQL

Runs in DuckDB 1.2 or later on the release's Parquet files over HTTPS:

```sql
SELECT c."ntsbNumber", c."eventDate", c."eventType", c."eventCity", c."eventStateOrRegion", a.n_number, a."aircraftMake", a."aircraftModel", c."highestInjuryLevel", c."totalFatal", c."completionStatus", c.report_url
FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' c LEFT JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' a ON a.case_mkey = c."mKey" AND a.position = 1
WHERE c."eventStateOrRegion" = 'IL' AND c."eventCountry" = 'USA'
  AND c."mKey" IN (SELECT s.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' s WHERE s."tier2Number" = '220' AND s.case_mkey IN (SELECT case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' WHERE "isDefiningEvent"))
ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC
```

This list as a web page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/220/sequence?state=IL

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OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.