Robinson R66 N766WC

Summary

On 21 April 2019 at about 00:30 local time, a Robinson R66 registered N766WC, operated by Skyline Helicopters LLC, was involved in an accident near St Jacob, Illinois, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 April 2019 at 00:30

Classification

Accident

Location

St Jacob, Illinois, United States

Coordinates

38.6997, -89.7750

Aircraft

Robinson R66

Registration

N766WC

Category

Helicopter

Year built

2013

Engines

1

Operator

Skyline Helicopters LLC

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

St Jacob → St Jacob

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN19LA123

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's in-flight collision with an unmarked wire during an aerial application flight; the wire lacked contrast with the surrounding environment.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was performing aerial application operations and stated that he aligned the helicopter to perform a pass along the edge of a wheat field. During the pass, he noticed a power line in front of him, but the helicopter was "too close to avoid [it]." He felt the helicopter mast contact the power line; the helicopter began to "shake" violently and then impacted the ground. The pilot stated that he had performed reconnaissance of the field before beginning the application to identify power lines and other obstructions; however, he had not seen the impacted power line during the reconnaissance nor during the application. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the helicopter. Postaccident examination revealed that the power line was a green copper wire approximately 1/4-inch in diameter. The power line pole at the southern edge of the field was within the tree line and the field vegetation was green; it is likely that this lack of contrast contributed to the pilot's inability to identify the wire.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.