- Date
- July 26, 2023, 14:45 local (19:45 UTC)
- Place
- Hanlontown, IA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N467HARobinson Helicopter R44
- 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
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20230726008039A
- Case key
- 192722
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 cable during spray operations.
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 spraying at low altitude with power lines on the edges of the field, the airplane struck a cable, which resulted in substantial damage to the tail rotor blades and tail rotor drive shaft. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation and that he should have examined the field more thoroughly prior to conducting spray operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N467HA
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R44
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0984
- Built
- 2001
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Dyvig Enterprises LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- PRI · Hanlontown, IA
- Destination
- PRI · Hanlontown, IA
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
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 23, 2022
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 516 total · 148 in this make and model · 489 as pilot in command · 116 in the last 90 days · 111 in the last 30 days · 9 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.85 inHg
- Observed at
- KMCW, 10 nm away
- METAR
- KMCW 261953Z AUTO VRB04KT 10SM CLR 32/21 A2985 RMK AO2 SLP090 T03220211
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 5, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 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.