- Date
- July 28, 2022, 12:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Ithaca, NE
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N719TFRobinson 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
- 20220728007099A
- Case key
- 105620
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 low level aerial application operations due to a distraction.
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 was enroute to the next field he would spray and used a handheld GPS unit to navigate. When he finished imputing information into the GPS, he looked up and saw power lines across his flight path. The pilot pulled up on the collective and cyclic to climb; however, the helicopter struck the upper power line. The pilot entered an autorotation, during which the pilot felt unusual vibrations, but had full authority of the flight controls. The helicopter settled into a mature stand of corn, which resulted in structural damage to the tail boom and main rotor system. The pilot stated that he should have climbed to 500 ft agl before he used his GPS to navigate to the next field.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N719TF
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R44 II
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 10990
- Built
- 2005
- Airframe hours
- 2,854
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5, 245 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Blue Stem Leasing LLC
- Registered owner
- Blue Stem Leasing LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 23, 2022 · 27 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Satellite tracking device
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
- 32
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 6, 2022
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,010 total · 340 in this make and model · 153 in the last 90 days · 145 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- KAHQ, 5 nm away
- METAR
- KAHQ 281715Z AUTO 02006KT 10SM CLR 25/11 A3011 RMK A02 TO2520108
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 11, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.4 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 N719TF · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.