- Date
- May 10, 2017, 16:27 local (20:27 UTC)
- Place
- Vevay, IN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N428JGRobinson Helicopter R44
- Defining event
- Enroute-descent: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170510005889A
- Case key
- 95174
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 power lines during an agricultural application flight due to distraction when reading a map.
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 accomplished a high reconnaissance of the field before maneuvering to descend for an agricultural application. He recalled that his attention was split between visually acquiring the intended application area and the indications on his digital map mounted in the cockpit. He descended below a tree line into the intended application area, but "I was still attempting to compare the crop on my field to my map, and was not looking outside the aircraft as diligently as required." He diverted his attention outside the cockpit and noticed power lines at eye level. He immediately lowered the collective and applied forward cyclic, but the main rotor mast struck the power lines. He landed the helicopter in the field; however, the main rotor blades sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he accomplished a high reconnaissance before maneuvering to descend for an aerial application. He recalled that his attention was split between visually acquiring the intended application area and the indications on his digital map mounted in the cockpit. He descended below a tree line into the intended application area, but "I was still attempting to compare the crop on my field to my map, and was not looking outside the aircraft as diligently as required." He diverted his attention outside the cockpit and noticed powerline wires at eye level. He asserted that he immediately lowered the collective and applied forward cyclic, but the main rotor mast struck the powerline wires. He landed the helicopter in the field, however, the main rotor blades sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N428JG
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R44 (II)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 10168
- Built
- 2003
- Airframe hours
- 2,220
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5, 205 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- AG-Max LLC
- Registered owner
- St Louis Helicopter LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 12, 2017
- Departed
- Vevay, IN
- Destination
- Vevay, IN
- 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
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 11, 2016
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,455 total · 936 in this make and model · 1,370.8 as pilot in command · 25.3 in the last 90 days · 24.3 in the last 30 days · 5.4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- KLOU, 30 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 4, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 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.