- Date
- July 1, 2015, 21:00 local (Jul 2, 2015, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- Forest City, SD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N824DKRobinson Helicopter R44 II
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report October 8, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20150701010639A
- Case key
- 91612
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 monitor the flight environment for adequate terrain/obstacle clearance during takeoff, which resulted in the inflight collision with power transmission line wires.
Findings · 4
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 after he dropped his passenger off on a road, he departed to the east in smoky and hazy conditions. Shortly after takeoff, the helicopter impacted power transmission line wires that ran across the road. The helicopter then impacted the ground and skidded to a stop. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotors, upper arm, and fork assembly.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that after he dropped his passenger off on a road, he departed to the east in smoky and hazy conditions. Shortly after takeoff, the helicopter impacted power transmission line wires that ran across the road. The helicopter then impacted the ground and skidded to a stop. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotors, upper arm, and fork assembly.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N824DK
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R44 II (II)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 11117
- Built
- 2006
- Airframe hours
- 391
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540 AE1A5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Warner Farm Corp.
- Registered owner
- Warner Farm Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 21, 2015 · 16 hours before
- Departed
- Forest City, SD
- Destination
- Forest City, SD
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
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 19, 2014
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 261 total · 249 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 70° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- KMBG, 33 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 2, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.1 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.