- Date
- July 13, 2023, 16:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Atchison, KS
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N533DRHughes 369D
- 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
- 20230713008809A
- Case key
- 192632
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 · 2
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 pass in a helicopter, he failed to observe a second lower powerline near a previously observed high-tension powerline. The pilot attempted to maneuver under the lower powerline but was unsuccessful, and the helicopter impacted the lower powerline and subsequently the terrain. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor system, the tail boom, and the tail rotor system. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N533DR
- Reported as
- Hughes 369D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 490533D
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 9,071.9
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce M250-C20,C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Heinen Bros Ag, doing business as N/A
- Registered owner
- Kansas Farm & Ranch Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2023
- Equipment
- 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
- 32
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 18, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,045 total · 842 in this make and model · 1,985 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.84 inHg
- Observed at
- KSTJ, 12 nm away
- METAR
- KSTJ 132153Z 02004KT 10SM CLR 30/22 A2984 RMK AO2 SLP097 T03000222 $
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 28, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.5 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.