- Date
- June 27, 2021, 11:43 local (15:43 UTC)
- Place
- Waxhaw, NC · Farmland/Corn with powerlines
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7078VRobinson Helicopter R66
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20210627008769A
- Case key
- 103349
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 powerlines 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 reported that he observed several power lines when performing reconnaissance flights prior to beginning spraying operations. He attempted to avoid them as he began applying the fungicide to the corn field; however, the helicopter impacted a green, thin power line “less than the diameter of a pencil” that the pilot had not previously observed. The helicopter began to vibrate and became difficult to control. The pilot initiated a 180° right turn to avoid trees and the helicopter impacted the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage. The pilot stated that the helicopter had no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7078V
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R66
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0425
- Built
- 2013
- Airframe hours
- 996.45
- Engine
- Rolls Royce 250-C300/A1, 300 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Blade Ag LLC
- Registered owner
- Chopper Ag Services LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special); Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 12, 2021
- Departed
- KPYG · Pageland, SC
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Electronic multifunction display
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
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 12, 2020
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,554 total · 153 in this make and model · 2,462 as pilot in command · 104 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.25 inHg
- Observed at
- EQY, 3 nm away
- METAR
- KEQY 271553Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM FEW033 SCT043 28/20 A3025 RMK AO2 SLP241 T02780200
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 5, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 13.6 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.