- Date
- July 31, 2022, 18:55 UTC
- Place
- Marshall, MO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N458SGRobinson 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
- FAA report
- 20220731007659A
- Case key
- 105634
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 adequately survey a field for obstructions prior to a low-level aerial application pass, which resulted in an impact with a powerline.
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, during an aerial application flight in a helicopter, he mistakenly thought a power pole he had observed during an overflight was the termination point of a powerline. He stated that he failed to notice another power pole that was obscured by trees near a small house and impacted the lines between the poles during a spray pass. The helicopter subsequently impacted terrain. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, tail boom and main rotor blades. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N458SG
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R44 II
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 10458
- Built
- 2004
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5, 245 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Cedar Ridge Aviation LLC
- Registered owner
- Cedar Ridge Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special); Standard, Normal
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
- 37
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 8, 2022
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 4,104 total · 2,005 in this make and model · 298 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- KMHL, 3 nm away
- METAR
- KMHL 312355Z AUTO 17005KT 10SM SCT035 SCT046 SCT050 29/23 A2998 RMK AO2
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 24, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.5 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.