- Date
- October 5, 2021, 14:20 local (19:20 UTC)
- Place
- Delta, MO · Ditch
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N266RKRobinson 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
- Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20211005017419A
- Case key
- 104056
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 inadequate inflight planning and his failure to see and avoid a wire which resulted in contact with the wire and subsequent ground impact.
Findings · 4
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 during spray operations the helicopter contacted a wire and then impacted terrain, which damaged the main rotor mast and tail boom. Following the accident, the pilot realized the poles holding the wire were concealed by trees and that he should have conducted a more thorough inflight survey of the spray area. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N266RK
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R66
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0563
- Built
- 2014
- Airframe hours
- 1,935
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce RRE-200570, 300 hp, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Thompson Flying Service LLC
- Registered owner
- Thompson Flying Service LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 12, 2021 · 23 hours before
- Departed
- Priv · Delta, MO
- Destination
- Priv · Delta, MO
- Airport
- None
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, 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
- 25
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 20, 2020
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 2,941 total · 2,104 in this make and model · 2,941 as pilot in command · 350 in the last 90 days · 55 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- KCGI, 8 nm away
- METAR
- KCGI 051853Z 05007KT 10SM CLR 26/18 A3006 RMK AO2 SLP177 T02560178
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 18, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 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.