- Date
- July 14, 2010, 19:30 local (Jul 15, 2010, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Blackstone, IL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N17HContinental Copters Tomcat MK6B
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-DPA-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100714044139A
- Case key
- 76684
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The helicopter encountered a dust devil at a low altitude during the aerial application flight.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was spraying a corn field during the aerial application flight when the accident occurred. He made a turn at the end of a swath run and was leveling out five feet above the corn when the helicopter encountered a dust devil. The helicopter descended into the corn in a level attitude.
Factual narrative
The pilot was spraying a corn field during the aerial application flight when the accident occurred. He made a turn at the end of a swath run and was leveling out five feet above the corn when the helicopter encountered a dust devil. The helicopter descended into the corn in a level attitude, resulting in substantial damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N17H
- Reported as
- Continental Copters Tomcat MK6B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 13
- Airframe hours
- 10,668
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435-A1F, 240 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Hendrickson Flying Service Inc
- Registered owner
- Hendrickson Flying Service Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · July 11, 2010 · 115 hours before
- Departed
- Blackstone, IL
- Destination
- Blackstone, IL
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 22
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 15, 2009
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 1,038 total · 176 in this make and model · 922 as pilot in command · 149 in the last 90 days · 91 in the last 30 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- VYS, 30 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 19, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N17H · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.