- Date
- July 28, 2010, 17:45 local (22:45 UTC)
- Place
- St. Olaf, IA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N275RABell 206
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-Des Moines FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100728041539A
- Case key
- 76801
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 during the agricultural 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 reported that he was performing agricultural spraying operations in the helicopter when the accident occurred. He stated that he was making a final "trim" pass along the northern boundary of the field and heading west into the afternoon sun. He said that as he finished his pass, he looked down at the spray boom to insure that the nozzles were shut off and when he looked back up he saw the wires that crossed his path as they contacted the helicopter. The helicopter became uncontrollable and impacted a field in a nose-low attitude. The pilot reported no preimpact difficulties with the helicopter.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was performing agricultural spraying operations in the helicopter when the accident happened. He stated that he was making a final "trim" pass along the northern boundary of the field and heading west into the afternoon sun. He said that as he finished his pass, he looked down at the spray boom to insure that the nozzles were shut off and when he looked back up he saw the wires that crossed his path as they contacted the helicopter. The helicopter became uncontrollable and impacted into a field in a nose low attitude. The pilot made no mention of pre-impact difficulties with the helicopter in his statement.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N275RA
- Reported as
- Bell 206 (B)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1823
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce 250-C20
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Roma Air Corp
- Registered owner
- Roma Air Corp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- St. Olaf, IA
- Destination
- St. Olaf, 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
- 35
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 26, 2010
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 11,680 total · 2,400 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- 310° at 9 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- PDC, 14 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 8, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 57 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.