- Date
- May 7, 2017, 14:50 local (19:50 UTC)
- Place
- Waterloo, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N993YCRotorcraft Development OH-58A+
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 5, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170507008699A
- Case key
- 95129
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 see and avoid transmission wires while maneuvering at a low altitude.
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 helicopter pilot reported that, while maneuvering at a low altitude for an agricultural application flight, he began flying along the north side of the intended spraying field. He added that he was paying attention to the trees along the field to maintain adequate clearance. He further added that the main rotor blades struck transmission wires and that he then heard a "high pitch sound" coming from the engine and the rpm decrease. The nose pitched up, and the helicopter impacted the ground and rolled onto its right side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that he had noticed the transmission wires earlier in flight but that he later forgot where they were located.
Factual narrative
The helicopter pilot reported that while maneuvering at a low altitude for an agricultural application flight he began flying along the north side of the intended spraying field. He added that he was paying attention to the trees along the field to maintain adequate clearance. He further added that the main rotor blades struck transmission line wires, and then he heard a "high pitch sound that came from the engine" and the rpm decreased. The nose pitched up and the helicopter impacted the ground and rolled onto its right side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that he had noticed the transmission line wires earlier in flight, but later had forgotten where they were located.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N993YC
- Reported as
- Rotorcraft Development OH-58A+ (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 71-20367
- Built
- 1971
- Airframe hours
- 4,580.7
- Engine
- Allison T63-A-720, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Klinkenborg Aerial Spraying & Seeding In
- Registered owner
- Klinkenborg Aerial Spraying & Seeding In
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 15, 2017
- Departed
- 1IL4 · Millstadt, IL
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- 39
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 1, 2016
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 5,556 total · 456 in this make and model · 5,450 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 31 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- KCPS, 17 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 14, 2017, 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.