- Date
- March 11, 2020, 22:45 local (Mar 12, 2020, 03:45 UTC)
- Place
- Sterling City, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4386WRobinson Helicopter R44 II
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- 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
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20200311001429I
- Case key
- 193472
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 power lines during an aerial application flight.
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 to local law enforcement that while conducting an aerial application flight, the helicopter impacted power lines. He said that while he had crossed over the power lines multiple times during the application flight; however, the sun was blocked by a cloud and the power line was not visible due to the lack of a reflection off the line. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor mast. According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector that examined the helicopter on scene, he reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4386W
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R44 II
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 12847
- Built
- 2009
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Aerial Crane Enterprises LLC , doing business as Aerial Crane Enterprises LLC
- Registered owner
- Concho Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Unknown
- Departed
- E41 · Big Lake, TX
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 33
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Unknown
- Flight hours
- 1,500 total · 900 in this make and model · 120 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- KOZA, 26 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KOZA 112335Z AUTO 20013KT 10SM CLR 27/12 A2996 RMK AO2=
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 25, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 718 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.