- Date
- July 15, 2026, 19:42 local (Jul 16, 2026, 00:42 UTC)
- Place
- Coralville, IA · Corn field
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N322TCRobinson Helicopter R44 II
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 1, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Des Moines FSDO
- FAA report
- 20260715007689A
- Case key
- 203406
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 power line during a low-level 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
The pilot stated that he flew around the cornfield to identify hazards, noted the power lines, and then began aerial application operations. While spraying around a large tree the pilot saw the glint of the power line and attempted to avoid it but was unsuccessful. The pilot was unable to maintain sufficient main rotor RPM and entered an autorotation to the cornfield. After landing in the field, the main rotor blades struck the corn stalks and the helicopter came to a rest on its side, resulting in substantial damage to the main rotor system, engine mount, fuselage, and tailboom. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures of the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N322TC
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R44 II
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 10661
- Built
- 2005
- Airframe hours
- 2,068
- Engine
- Lycoming Engines IO-540-AE1A5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Ultimate Rotor/Blade Helicopter
- Registered owner
- Ultimate Holdings LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 9, 2026 · 9 hours before
- Departed
- IOW · Iowa City, IA
- 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
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 12, 2026
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 662 total · 168 in this make and model · 610 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 34 in the last 30 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,900 ft broken
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- KIOW, 5 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KIOW 160052Z AUTO 18003KT 10SM BKN049 31/23 A3005 RMK AO2 SLPNO T03060228 $
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 1, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.9 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.