Texas OH-13H/M74A N51857

Summary

On 1 August 2011 at about 14:30 local time, a Texas OH-13H/M74A registered N51857, operated by Scotts Helicopter Service Inc, was involved in an accident near Joice, Iowa, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 August 2011 at 14:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Joice, Iowa, United States

Coordinates

43.3633, -93.4558

Aircraft

Texas OH-13H/M74A

Registration

N51857

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Scotts Helicopter Service Inc

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Joice → Joice

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN11CA535

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the wire.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that during an aerial application flight, he was paralleling a highway as he was applying chemical to a cornfield. He gained altitude to clear a homestead and then descended into the field to continue spraying. He reported that the helicopter impacted an unmarked wire that was strung diagonally between the road he was paralleling and the corner of the property. The helicopter impacted the field and the main rotor blades separated from the airframe, causing the helicopter to cartwheel prior coming to a stop. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor blades and fuselage. The pilot reported that there was no mechanical malfunction or failure of the helicopter prior to the wire strike.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.