Texas OH-13H/M74A N10009

Summary

On 29 July 2013 at about 11:15 local time, a Texas OH-13H/M74A registered N10009, operated by Hendrickson Flying Service Inc, was involved in an accident near Streator, Illinois, 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

29 July 2013 at 11:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Streator, Illinois, United States

Coordinates

41.1133, -88.8353

Aircraft

Texas OH-13H/M74A

Registration

N10009

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Hendrickson Flying Service Inc

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Toluca → Toluca

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dawn

NTSB number

CEN13LA442

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's diverted attention during an agricultural application maneuver, which resulted in the helicopter impacting a corn field.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he was applying agricultural product to a "J" shaped field. After he completed the aerial application to the "long" portion of the field, the pilot turned south to finish the "small' portion of the field. He stated that he checked the helicopter's light bar, which is often used by pilots as a navigation aid to fly on an indicated swath path. The pilot then "saw corn in the windshield," and the helicopter rolled upside down and subsequently came to rest on its left side. No mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation were detected during the helicopter's postaccident examination.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.