- Date
- July 30, 2021, 12:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Merry, NE
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N857TLRobinson Helicopter R66
- 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 - LNK FSDO
- FAA report
- 20210730019069A
- Case key
- 103606
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 a wire during a low-level 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 that while cresting a hill at the end of a field during an aerial application pass, the helicopter’s skids struck power lines and subsequently impacted terrain. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, tail boom, and rotors. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operations. The pilot reported that the aerial application pass was over rolling hills with terrain elevation changes of about 300 ft. and that could not see the end of the field where the power lines were because of the hill. When he crested the hill and saw the powerlines at eye-level, he attempted to climb over the power lines, but the skids struck the top static wire.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N857TL
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R66
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0601
- Built
- 2015
- Engine
- Rolls Royce RR3300, 270 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Higgins Leasing Inc
- Registered owner
- Higgins Leasing Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- 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
- 31
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3,360 total · 250 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 0.25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- KAIA, 41 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KAIA 301653Z AUTO 36014KT 1 1/4SM HZ CLR 27/17 A3019 RMK AO2 SLP176 T02670172=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 16, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 594 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.