- Date
- July 4, 2024, 18:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- New Florence, MO · Corn field near New Florence MO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N225AMRobinson 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
- 20240704010619A
- Case key
- 194632
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 proper altitude/clearance from a dead tree limb during an aerial application flight.
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
During an aerial application flight, the helicopter was climbing out from a spray pass along a narrow field when the tail rotor hit a dead tree limb. The helicopter started spinning to the right, entered an uncontrolled descent, and impacted the ground. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom and fuselage. The pilot and operator reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N225AM
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R44 II
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 12221
- Built
- 2008
- Airframe hours
- 645
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-AE-1A5, 245 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Nordwald Aviation Services LLC
- Registered owner
- Nordwald Aviation Services LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 13, 2024 · 45 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- 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
- 34
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 31, 2023
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 1,195 total · 314 in this make and model · 1,145 as pilot in command · 122 in the last 90 days · 75 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,800 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- KMYJ, 21 nm away
- METAR
- KMYJ 042335Z AUTO 29006KT 10SM SCT037 BKN048 28/22 A2987 RMK AO2
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 22, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.1 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.