- Date
- July 23, 2010, 18:18 local (23:18 UTC)
- Place
- New Hampton, IA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N40TABell 206B
- 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 Des Moines FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100723043489A
- Case key
- 76737
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 pilot's failure to maintain clearance from wires.
Findings · 3
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 reported that he struck wires at the end of an aerial application spray run, which caused the helicopter to shake violently. During the emergency landing, the helicopter landed hard and rolled over on its right side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to its fuselage, main rotor, and tail rotor. The pilot stated that he should have performed a better “recon” for obstacles and wires in the field.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he struck wires at the end of an aerial application spray run which caused the helicopter to shake violently. During the emergency landing, the helicopter landed hard and rolled over on its right side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to its fuselage, main rotor, and tail rotor. The pilot stated that he should have performed a better “recon” for obstacles and wires in the field.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N40TA
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2412
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce 250-C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Topside Aviation Inc
- Registered owner
- Topside Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special); Standard, Normal
- Departed
- New Hampton, IA
- Destination
- New Hampton, IA
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
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 5,970 total · 1,270 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 8, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 764 KB 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.