- Date
- July 27, 2020, 12:20 local (17:20 UTC)
- Place
- Dakota, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N570WHRobinson R44
- Defining event
- Landing: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20200727011019A
- Case key
- 101684
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 main rotor clearance from a ground obstacle during a landing.
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 repositioned the helicopter to load application chemical for the aerial application flight. The chemical was in a tank in a hay wagon and the tops of the hay wagon curved outward. He "slowly" set the helicopter down and felt the left skid touch followed by the right skid. The pilot lowered collective after the helicopter touched down and the main rotor blade struck the hay wagon. The helicopter "jumped" and shook violently. Both left and right windshields ejected from the helicopter and the main rotors came to a stop. The pilot attempted to shut down the engine; however, the engine continued to run. He exited the helicopter and applied the fuel cutoff. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main and tail rotors, the skids, and the helicopter "frames." The pilot reported that there was no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. His safety recommendation stated that when setting the helicopter down near obstacles, recheck rotor clearance before fully lowering collective and be mindful that "the blades will move out of cone."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N570WH
- Reported as
- Robinson R44
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0538
- Built
- 1998
- Airframe hours
- 4,627.8
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-F1B5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- MF Helicopters Llc
- Registered owner
- MF Helicopters Llc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · September 13, 2019
- Departed
- Dakota, IL
- Destination
- Dakota, IL
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 19, 2020
- Flight hours
- 7,700 total · 380 in this make and model · 6,100 as pilot in command · 145 in the last 90 days · 107 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KFEP, 12 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 3, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.3 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 N570WH · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.