- Date
- August 7, 2015, 11:15 local (16:15 UTC)
- Place
- Kansasville, WI
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N20KDRobinson R44
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 14, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20150807012489A
- Case key
- 91755
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 inability to see and avoid power lines that were low to the ground and a green color that blended with the background crops.
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 flew over the field to be sprayed looking for obstacles. Seeing none, he commenced spraying and collided with power lines. The pilot said the power lines were only 13 feet off the ground and were green in color that blended in with the background crops. The helicopter's canopy contacted the power lines, then the lines slid beneath the helicopter and caught the skids. The helicopter nosed over and impacted terrain.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot's accident report, he flew over the field that was to be sprayed with pesticides and looked for obstacles. Seeing none, he commenced spraying and collided with power lines. The pilot said the power lines were only 13 feet off the ground and were green in color that blended in with the background crops. The pilot wrote, "It was in my opinion [that it was] impossible to see the wires that I hit." According to the Federal Aviation Administration inspector who went to the site, the helicopter's canopy contacted the power lines, then the lines slid beneath the helicopter and caught the skids. The helicopter nosed over and impacted terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N20KD
- Reported as
- Robinson R44
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0983
- Built
- 2001
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-F1B5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Deakins Black Nine Dairy, LLC
- Registered owner
- Deakins Black Nine Dairy, LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 24, 2015
- Departed
- 57C · East Troy, WI
- Destination
- 57C · East Troy, WI
- Equipment
- Data recorder
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
- 50
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 19, 2013
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,830 total · 2,630 in this make and model · 2,756 as pilot in command · 230 in the last 90 days · 110 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- KBUU, 8 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 23, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 874 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.